‘If there are direct India-Taiwan flights, they will fly’: MEA after Pakistan blocks airspace over 'One-China' policy

Pakistan barred Taiwanese airlines from using its airspace. The restriction applies to flights operated by Taiwanese carriers, not to every aircraft linked to Taiwan. It matters because Pakistan sits on routes connecting Asia with Europe, so avoiding its territory can force airlines to make significant detours.

The article gives a clear example. On October 24, a China Airlines flight from Taipei to Rome flew through Russian airspace instead of following its earlier route through India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan. Aviation observers also reported that at least a dozen Asia-Europe flights used routes over Russia.

The immediate effect is longer routing for affected Taiwanese flights. Longer routes generally mean more time in the air, greater fuel consumption and higher operating costs, although the article does not provide exact increases. The restriction also highlights how diplomatic policies can directly reshape commercial flight paths.

The “One China” policy is the position that Beijing regards Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinese territory. In the article, Pakistan says its aviation division follows this policy. That turns a political position into a practical rule affecting which carriers may cross Pakistani airspace.

Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Asif, said, “only mainland China is allowed” and that Pakistan had permitted only Chinese airlines to fly over its territory. Taiwanese airlines were therefore denied access, even though their flights might previously have used Pakistan as part of routes between Asia and Europe.

The policy matters because airspace access is separate from simply buying a ticket or choosing a destination. Airlines need permission to cross countries along their routes. When a country links that permission to Taiwan’s political status, flights can be diverted. The article identifies this as the first reported case of a country explicitly denying Taiwanese airlines access on these grounds.

At least a dozen Asia-Europe flights operated by Taiwanese carriers were reported to have taken longer routes. The flights were routed entirely over Russia after Taiwanese airlines began avoiding Pakistani airspace. The report emerged when aviation observers noticed changes in their normal flight paths.

The article gives one specific example. On October 24, a China Airlines flight from Taipei to Rome flew through Russian airspace. Its earlier route had passed through India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan. That example shows how the restriction changed the geography of a long-haul journey rather than simply delaying a flight.

The reported alternative route over Russia reflects the immediate response of Taiwanese carriers to Pakistan’s restriction. The article does not give exact flight-time, fuel or cost increases. It does establish that the new routes were longer and that at least a dozen Asia-Europe services were affected, indicating that the change was broader than one isolated flight.

When an airline cannot use a direct or efficient air corridor, it must add distance to the journey. More distance normally means the aircraft spends longer in the air. That can raise fuel consumption because the plane must operate its engines for more time and carry fuel for the extended route.

The article illustrates this change through China Airlines’ Taipei-Rome flight on October 24. Instead of using its earlier route through India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, the flight went through Russian airspace. At least a dozen Taiwanese Asia-Europe flights reportedly made similar changes and flew entirely over Russia.

The financial effects generally include more fuel, crew time, aircraft use and possible scheduling complications. These factors can raise operating costs and may affect fares or airline planning. However, the article does not quantify the additional minutes, fuel, or money involved. It only confirms that the replacement routes were longer.

Pakistan is limiting Taiwanese airlines because it has chosen to apply Beijing’s “One China” position to aviation. Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Asif, said the aviation division permits only mainland Chinese airlines to fly over Pakistan. The decision treats airspace access as an expression of diplomatic policy.

The article connects this choice to Pakistan’s close ties with China. Pakistan established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 1951. Since then, the countries have maintained close political, economic and strategic relations and often described their relationship as an “all-weather” partnership.

That relationship helps explain why Pakistan supports Beijing’s position, but the article does not describe any separate economic or aviation agreement behind the restriction. The immediate result is unequal access: Chinese airlines are allowed to cross Pakistan, while Taiwanese carriers are not. The move also makes Pakistan the first country reported to have taken this step explicitly for the “One China” policy.

Taiwan’s political status is disputed because Beijing regards it as an inalienable part of Chinese territory, while Taiwan operates separately from mainland China. The article does not provide a full history of the dispute. It does show that the disagreement has consequences beyond diplomacy, including decisions about air routes and airline access.

Pakistan’s restriction is a direct example. Its defence minister said only mainland Chinese airlines were allowed to fly over Pakistan. Taiwanese flights that once used a route through India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan instead began flying through Russian airspace. At least a dozen Asia-Europe flights were reported to have taken longer paths.

The broader implication is that Taiwan’s political status can affect international aviation even when flights are purely commercial. Countries may align their airspace decisions with their diplomatic positions. The article presents Pakistan’s action as the first reported case of a country explicitly denying Taiwanese airlines access because of the “One China” principle.

International aviation depends on countries allowing foreign aircraft to cross their territory. In general, a state controls access to the airspace above its land and can set conditions for overflights. Airlines therefore plan routes around permissions, restrictions and available corridors rather than treating every sky route as automatically open.

Pakistan’s decision shows how that control works. Its defence minister said the aviation division follows the “One China” policy and allows only mainland Chinese airlines to fly over Pakistan. Taiwanese airlines consequently changed routes. A China Airlines flight from Taipei to Rome flew through Russia instead of using its earlier path through India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.

This system lets individual countries use airspace access to pursue security or diplomatic policies. In this case, Pakistan’s rule affected commercial scheduling and forced longer routes for Taiwanese carriers. The article does not discuss the treaties or legal agreements governing overflight rights, but it clearly shows that airlines must comply with a country’s access decision.