Pakistan lifts Taiwan airspace ban: How the ban would change global airspace and affect air traffic | Today’s news
Pakistan has reversed course and has now allowed Taiwan to use its airspace again after initially barring the country from doing so on Wednesday, a Karachi-based daily reported. Dawn revealed
The publication cited documents it had seen which revealed that Taiwan’s China Airlines Ltd and Eva Airways Corp were granted operating permits in the country from October 28, 2026 to March 27, 2027.
The first news that Pakistan banned Taiwan from its airspace for supporting the One China policy was reported by Bloomberg. The publication also reported on this development later.
The original report was based on a statement by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif to Bloomberg, in which he said: “The Air Division follows a one-China policy – only mainland China is allowed,” adding: “We have only allowed Chinese airlines to fly over Pakistan.”
A Bloomberg report cited flight tracking data to reveal that over the weekend, Taiwanese airlines rerouted their flights while avoiding Pakistani airspace.
According to Flightradar24 data, at least 12 flights of the two above-mentioned airlines avoided Pakistani airspace and flew over Russia.
What would happen if the ban passed?
If the ban were to go through as Khwaja Asif claims, Taiwanese carriers bound for the Middle East or Europe would have to routinely change their routes. They would either have to go through Russia or take a more southerly route through India and the Middle East (on their way to Europe).
Such diversions result in longer flight times depending on the destination and alternate corridor. In some cases, journeys may take tens of minutes or several hours longer. The exact delay will vary by route; and each flight would not experience the same increase.
It would also lead to higher fuel consumption and costs and scheduling complications that would not only be limited to the point of origin or route, but also at stopover locations.
History of the relationship between Pakistan and Taiwan
After declaring independence in 1947, Pakistan maintained a relationship with Taiwan until 1951. However, as China became a larger and more powerful country, Islamabad chose to side with Beijing instead of Taipei.
The two countries do not have an official embassy, trade or cultural center. In 2019, there were reports that Taiwan’s textile industry was planning to move its production from Vietnam to Pakistan as labor costs are cheaper in the country.
