Islamabad: After agreeing to hold talks on resumption of air links with India, Pakistan has sought assurance from New Delhi that it will keep its airspace open as part of negotiations between the two nations.

"Our government is asking India to give a guarantee that they won't unilaterally close airspace again. It is not that whenever they like they can close links," state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) chairman Chaudhry Ahmed Saeed told reporters on July 17.

"The two governments are moving at 'top speed' to restore air links as part of steps to ease tensions," he said, adding he expects flights will be able to resume in a month.

He claimed that India operations and over India were around seven per cent – a small part of entire PIA operations.

The earnings from the operations with India were about Rs 200 million that is not substantial, while earnings from operations for the Far East was just to cover the overheads, he added. "Indian losses are 10 times the losses sustained by Pakistan and that is why it is very keen on the re-opening of over- flights," he claimed.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) sources said the guarantee issue would be the core issue at the meeting with the Indian Civil Aviation Authority, expected next week in Islamabad.

Moreover, issuance of visas is also a prerequisite, they said. Without the issuance of visa, opening of air links between the two countries will be meaningless, they added.

PTI