Taiwan Says Pakistan Briefly Closed Its Airspace to Taiwanese Flights

Taiwan said on Thursday that Pakistan briefly closed its airspace to Taiwanese cargo and passenger flights, in what Taipei described as an unprecedented move. Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi confirmed the closure and reopening to AFP and said Taiwan suspects China was behind it, telling the news agency: 'We suspect definitely China was behind this.'
China Airlines and Eva Air normally fly over Pakistan on their routes between Asia and Europe. However, flight-tracking analysis by AFP showed that last weekend the two carriers began rerouting their Europe-bound flights, sending some further south over the Gulf and others further north over Russia. Neither airline would confirm to AFP that Pakistan had closed or reopened its airspace when contacted.
The episode adds a new wrinkle to the region's already tense aviation politics, with longer detours adding time and fuel costs to long-haul flights. Pakistan has not publicly commented on the claim in the reports so far, and it remains unclear exactly how long the closure lasted or what prompted it.
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