Addressing queries regarding potential direct air connectivity between India and Taiwan, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal remarked on Wednesday, “My sense is, if there are direct flights, they will fly.”
The statement follows news that Pakistan has explicitly barred Taiwanese airlines from entering its airspace, citing strict enforcement of Beijing’s “One China” policy.
Pakistan Restricts Airspace for Taiwanese Carriers
According to international aviation reports, Pakistan has become the first country to explicitly block Taiwanese commercial flights on diplomatic grounds in support of China.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed the development, stating that the nation’s aviation division strictly observes the One China policy. “We have permitted only Chinese airlines to fly over Pakistan,” Asif told Bloomberg News.
The airspace closure came to light after Flightradar24 tracking data revealed that Taiwanese carriers operating routes between East Asia and Europe—such as China Airlines flights from Taipei to Rome—began rerouting over Russian airspace, completely bypassing traditional flight corridors over India, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan.
India-Taiwan Relations and Aviation Outlook
While New Delhi adheres to a pragmatic economic and cultural framework with Taiwan, direct passenger flights between India and Taiwan have remained under diplomatic and commercial review. MEA Spokesperson Jaiswal’s remarks reflect a measured approach, affirming that operational decisions for direct air routes remain bound by commercial viability and civil aviation permissions rather than third-country diplomatic restrictions.
