New Delhi: Airports at major metros are becoming operational 24 hours with more daylight flights being introduced by global carriers following the government's insistence to this effect.

The efforts by the Civil Aviation Ministry in this direction have now started bearing fruit as most of the global airlines operating to the country are adding new day-time services, official sources said. Earlier, most of the international flights used to operate at night.

India, a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), had moved a paper in the UN body almost two years ago suggesting that the night curfew at many European and US airports should be done away with.

Government's basic contention was that this practice of the western nations was unfair to airlines and travellers from the developing world, especially those in the east. India's move received a lot of support, especially from several Asian nations, sources said.

The Civil Aviation Ministry also took a firm stand at the global fora stating that the Indian carriers should not be restricted from operating flights from western airports during night, which land here during the day.

The night curfew in the western airports also implied that flights could not depart from India in the afternoon or evening, sources said.

The aviation authorities in the west were asked to consider the consequences of India closing down its airports at night due to concerns of noise and pollution, they added.

The move was also aimed at de-congesting the major airports, particularly those in Mumbai and Delhi which used to handle most of the international traffic at that time.
Source : PTI