Pakistan Closes Airspace to Taiwan Airlines
Action supports Beijing's 'One China' policy, forcing rerouting of flights.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Pakistan Closes Airspace to Taiwan Airlines
Photograph: ZN.UA Зеркало недели (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Pakistan has closed its airspace to all airlines registered in Taiwan.
- The decision is in support of Beijing's 'One China' policy, according to Pakistan's Defence Minister.
- Taiwanese airlines, including China Airlines and Eva Air, have been rerouting flights, with some now flying over Russia.
- Pakistan is reported to be the first country to implement such a ban.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 13 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 11 of the 24 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
60/100
Craft
60/100
Hype
40/100
24 sources · methodology
Pakistan has closed its airspace to all airlines from Taiwan, a move that supports Beijing's 'One China' policy. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed the restriction, stating that Pakistan's aviation sector adheres strictly to the 'One China' policy and permits only Chinese carriers from mainland China to fly over its territory. This action has compelled Taiwanese airlines to alter their flight paths.
Airlines such as China Airlines and Eva Air have been rerouting flights between Asia and Europe. Data from Flightradar24 indicates that at least a dozen flights have begun using Russian airspace as a result of the Pakistani restrictions, a route that many international carriers have avoided due to security risks and sanctions. These rerouted flights have led to increased travel times and additional fuel costs.
Divergent details
ZN.UA reported that Pakistan's policy is stricter than that of mainland China, which permits Taiwanese airlines to cross its territory. Other reports did not include this comparison. ZN.UA also noted that Pakistan and China are deeply integrated through the 'Belt and Road' initiative and have close military cooperation, including the supply of Chinese J-10C fighter jets. This historical context and detail on the China-Pakistan alliance were not present in other reports.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned the date of 25 October as the start of the rerouting of flights, a detail present in ZN.UA. None of the reports mentioned the specific number of flights affected beyond 'at least a dozen' or 'at least ten'. No right-rated outlet ran this story.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 28 Oct 2026, 13:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
6 rated outlets
- Left-rated reports led with Pakistan closing its airspace to Taiwanese airlines due to the 'One China' policy. These reports highlighted that airlines from Taiwan have been forced to take longer routes, with some now flying over Russia. The Independent (US) and The Independent stated that airlines were forced to take longer routes over Russia since the weekend. Outlook India noted that Pakistan barred Taiwanese airlines, prompting China Airlines and EVA Air to reroute some Europe-bound flights via Russia. Dawn reported that Pakistan barred Taiwanese airlines in line with the 'One China' policy, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stating that only Chinese airlines were permitted to fly over its airspace.
Centre
3 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports focused on Pakistan barring Taiwanese airlines from its airspace in support of Beijing's 'One China' policy. Business Recorder reported that Pakistan shut its airspace to carriers from Taiwan, citing the 'One China' policy, and quoted Defence Minister Khawaja Asif saying only mainland China was allowed. ZN.UA reported that Pakistan closed its airspace to all airlines from Taiwan for the first time in history, in support of Beijing's territorial claims. This report also detailed that Taiwanese airlines were forced to reroute flights, with some using Russian airspace, and that Pakistan's move was unprecedented and stricter than mainland China's policy.
Right
4 rated outlets
We have not written our reading of the right coverage of this story. The right-rated outlets that ran it are listed below.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Pakistan Closes Airspace to Taiwan Airlines?
- Of the 13 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 46% are rated left, 23% are rated centre, 31% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 24. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Pakistan Closes Airspace to Taiwan Airlines left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 13 rated outlets on this story, 46% are rated left, 23% are rated centre, 31% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Pakistan Closes Airspace to Taiwan Airlines biased?
- Pakistan Closes Airspace to Taiwan Airlines is one event reported by 24 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Pakistan Closes Airspace to Taiwan Airlines?
- 24 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Why has Pakistan closed its airspace to Taiwan?
- Pakistan has closed its airspace to airlines from Taiwan in support of Beijing's 'One China' policy. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed the decision, stating that only Chinese airlines from mainland China are permitted to fly over Pakistani territory.
- What are the consequences for Taiwanese airlines?
- Taiwanese airlines, such as China Airlines and Eva Air, have been forced to reroute their flights. Some flights between Asia and Europe are now using Russian airspace, leading to increased travel times and additional fuel costs.
- Is Pakistan the first country to take this action?
- According to the reports, Pakistan is the first country in the world to implement such a ban on Taiwanese airlines flying through its airspace.
Read it at the source
24 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
6- Pakistan closes airspace to Taiwan airlines | Taiwan News | Oct. 28, 2026 20:00 (opens Taiwan News in a new tab)
Taiwan News — is Taiwan News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Plumberg: Pakistan Closes Its Airspace to Taiwanese Airlines (opens aljazeera.net in a new tab)
aljazeera.net — is aljazeera.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan closes airspace to airlines from Taiwan due to ‘one China policy’ (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan closes airspace to airlines from Taiwan due to ‘one China policy’ (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan Takes Its Taiwan Stance To The Skies, Barring Airlines From Its Airspace (opens Outlook India in a new tab)
Outlook India — is Outlook India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan bars Taiwanese airlines from its airspace in line with One-China policy: report (opens Dawn in a new tab)
Centre
3- ‘If there are direct India-Taiwan flights, they will fly’: MEA after Pakistan blocks airspace over 'One-China' policy (opens Hindustan Times in a new tab)
Hindustan Times — is Hindustan Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan Closes Airspace for Taiwan Airlines for the First Time in History (opens ZN.UA Зеркало недели in a new tab)
ZN.UA Зеркало недели — is ZN.UA Зеркало недели biased? Our profile of this outlet
- One-China policy: Pakistan bars Taiwan carriers from airspace: report (opens Business Recorder in a new tab)
Business Recorder — is Business Recorder biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
4- Pakistan bans Taiwan airlines over One-China policy. Even China hasn't done that (opens India Today in a new tab)
India Today — is India Today biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Pakistan bans Taiwan airlines from flying over its territory citing One-China policy (opens CNBC-TV18 in a new tab)
- In Support of One-China Policy, Pakistan Bans Taiwanese Airlines From Using Its Airspace: Report (opens Anadolu Ajansı in a new tab)
Anadolu Ajansı — is Anadolu Ajansı biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan bars Taiwanese airlines from its airspace - Profit by Pakistan Today (opens Pakistan Today in a new tab)
Pakistan Today — is Pakistan Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
11- Pakistan bars Taiwanese airlines from its airspace over One-China policy (opens NewsKarnataka in a new tab)
NewsKarnataka — is NewsKarnataka biased? Our profile of this outlet
- One-China policy: Pakistan bars Taiwan carriers from airspace: report (opens The Frontier Post in a new tab)
The Frontier Post — is The Frontier Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan Becomes First Country to Ban Taiwanese Airlines From Its Airspace (opens TechJuice in a new tab)
- Pakistan bars Taiwanese airlines from its airspace under One-China policy, report says (opens The Current in a new tab)
The Current — is The Current biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan blocks Taiwan Flights from its Airspace to reinforce strategic Support for China - Pakistan Observer (opens Daily Pakistan Observer in a new tab)
Daily Pakistan Observer — is Daily Pakistan Observer biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan Abruptly Closed Its Airspace Before Diwali, Sparking a Stir in International Aviation and Asian Politics. (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Pakistan Bars Taiwanese Airlines From Its Airspace Under One-China Policy (opens arabtimesonline.com in a new tab)
arabtimesonline.com — is arabtimesonline.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan’s ban on Taiwanese airlines goes further than China’s own airspace rules (opens Startup Pakistan in a new tab)
Startup Pakistan — is Startup Pakistan biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Show 3 more
- Pakistan Closes Airspace to Taiwanese Airlines in Support of Beijing (opens borskollen.se in a new tab)
borskollen.se — is borskollen.se biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Bloomberg: Pakistan Supports the One China Policy and Closes Its Airspace to Taiwanese Airlines (opens cna.com.tw in a new tab)
cna.com.tw — is cna.com.tw biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pakistan Denies Entry to Taiwan Airlines Citing One-China Policy (opens BizToc in a new tab)
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
