India presses foreign airlines to start day flights

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI)

People wishing to fly abroad now have more options of travelling during day time, with several foreign airlines starting additional flights during these hours for passengers' convenience following India's insistence.

Civil Aviation Ministry has been pressing the international carriers to do away with night services and operate additional flights during day time and the effort has started bearing fruit now.

Premier British carrier Virgin Atlantic took the lead in introducing day time flights out of Delhi. British Airways followed suit by introducing its additional flight during day time.

German carrier Lufthansa now also operates day time flights to Munich out of Delhi and Mumbai, apart from its night services to Frankfurt.

Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways have also launched new morning flights out of Delhi, while Cathay Pacific, which now operates two flights, has one each in morning and evening.

Emirates Airlines of the United Arab Emirates has two-day flights out of Mumbai to Dubai, while Sri Lankan Airlines operates twice during the day out of Chennai.

India, a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), has been contending that the night curfew at many European and US airports should be done away with as this practice is unfair to travellers from the developing world, especially those in the East.
(c) Press Trust of India