Pakistan approves Taiwanese airlines’ overflights through March

Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority approved passenger and cargo overflights by Taiwanese airlines EVA Air and China Airlines from October 28, 2026, through March 27, 2027, according to aviation documents dated October 28. The approvals came as reports said Pakistan had restricted the carriers, but the documents do not say whether they reverse an earlier measure. Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Bloomberg that only airlines from mainland China were permitted to fly over Pakistan, citing the country’s adherence to the One China policy. Asif’s remarks were reported as an explanation for the restriction. The approval documents do not mention the policy or describe any previous ban. Flight-tracking data cited in the reports indicated that China Airlines and EVA Air had not flown over Pakistan since the morning of October 25. At least a dozen flights operated by the carriers between Asia and Europe instead used Russian airspace, according to the data. The reports did not establish how long any restriction was in force or identify a formal directive behind it. The October 28 documents specifically authorize both passenger and cargo flights by the two carriers through...