TAIPEI: Pakistan has restored overflight rights to Taiwanese airlines, reversing a brief closure of its airspace.
Taiwan said Thursday that Pakistan had closed its airspace to Taiwanese cargo and passenger flights before reopening it. Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said Taipei suspects Beijing was behind the move.
Chen said the airlines were told the ban would be lifted only temporarily.
“China Airlines and EVA received a notice from the Pakistan authorities that they will lift the ban, but only temporarily ... till the end of the winter,” he said.
Both Taiwan-based carriers normally fly over Pakistan on their Asia-Europe routes. Starting last weekend, they rerouted Europe-bound flights farther south over the Gulf or farther north over Russia, according to an AFP analysis of flight-tracking data.
Neither airline would confirm that Pakistan had closed or reopened its airspace when contacted by AFP.
Chen said it was the first time a country had closed its airspace to Taiwanese commercial flights. He condemned the move and said it endangered passengers and the global supply chain.
“I think that gets in the way of the safety of the passengers and the smooth operation of the global supply chain,” he said.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island’s participation in international organizations and its exchanges with other countries.
In April, the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked overflight permits for Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s flight to Eswatini, Taipei’s only African ally, forcing him to postpone the trip. Taiwan blamed “intense pressure” from China at the time.
Taiwan does not have formal diplomatic ties with Pakistan, which has close relations with China. The two countries have maintained close diplomatic and strategic ties for decades, often describing their partnership as an “all-weather friendship.”
China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner and a major investor, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and has poured tens of billions of dollars into transport, energy and infrastructure projects.
