When looking at flight schedule of India airport, i found that more than half flights from Europe and Asia Pacific landed in India between 10pm to 4am?
So why Airline/pax prefer late arrival? And how do public transport be arranged?
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Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
A lot of it has more to do with connecting banks at the other ends of the routes than anything to do with passengers or airlines “preferring” midnight there.
Taking Europe, for example, the flights depart midday, allowing for connections from elsewhere on the continent, plus flights from North & South America, etc. Then you have an 8-ish hour flight, and factor in time zones, and you wind up in India at midnight. Turn around in a couple of hours, and you have a flight that can make a mid-morning arrival in Europe to connect passengers the other way.
Taking Europe, for example, the flights depart midday, allowing for connections from elsewhere on the continent, plus flights from North & South America, etc. Then you have an 8-ish hour flight, and factor in time zones, and you wind up in India at midnight. Turn around in a couple of hours, and you have a flight that can make a mid-morning arrival in Europe to connect passengers the other way.
Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
I have heard the explanation that night shift employees are paid more. It makes sense to have the low cost employees in India work at night and the higher cost European employees to work day shift. I have no idea if it is true or not, just an explanation I've heard.
As for travel: If you're flying from the Western Hemisphere, I strongly recommend staying right at the airport. Book your first night at an on-premise hotel. 20+ hours since departure and you're going to be beat. It's not as bad if you're coming from Asia or Europe as it's half the time. In that case, arrange transport prior to departure.
As for travel: If you're flying from the Western Hemisphere, I strongly recommend staying right at the airport. Book your first night at an on-premise hotel. 20+ hours since departure and you're going to be beat. It's not as bad if you're coming from Asia or Europe as it's half the time. In that case, arrange transport prior to departure.
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- Clipper101
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Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
I guess it is more to it to the machine (aircraft weight vs. engine temperature at takeoff vs. takeoff run available) not the passenger, naturally there should be cooler temperatures when time comes for aircraft departures on the back trip mainly during that same time.
Last edited by Clipper101 on Sun Jul 08, 2018 2:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
Clipper101 wrote:To make use of cooler temperatures when it comes for their departure times.
I think it has to do more with the banks, If I leave India/Pakistan at 3 am I can get to Dubai by 5/6 am connect on wards for 7 to 8 am departure to DFW, YYZ, LAX, ORD and etc. For the EU carriers same I can leave BOM by 3 am get to FRA by 9 am connect on wards to for DFW, ORD, SFO, MIA by 10 am, arrive in North America in the afternoon.
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- Clipper101
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Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
LH658 wrote:Clipper101 wrote:To make use of cooler temperatures when it comes for their departure times.
I think it has to do more with the banks, If I leave India/Pakistan at 3 am I can get to Dubai by 5/6 am connect on wards for 7 to 8 am departure to DFW, YYZ, LAX, ORD and etc. For the EU carriers same I can leave BOM by 3 am get to FRA by 9 am connect on wards to for DFW, ORD, SFO, MIA by 10 am, arrive in North America in the afternoon.
You got a point there, however I would see flight scheduling over time preferring putting flight banks in humid/hot regions (For example, sub-Indian continent & Gulf region) during night time for machine reasons, a rule of thumb that probably has been kept through time & connections between continents has evolved around it (as per your example.) Of course, for each rule there are exceptions, in our case it could be when an airline has more flights to a certain city throughout the day (such as EK serving Indian cities.)
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- dolphinflyer
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Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
Lot of flights in the subcontinent especially with the ME3 are timed like this. Often times from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, etc. the 2AM flights are more full than the afternoon ones because the 2AM flight is better for onward connections.
Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
Sometimes due Smog and fogging some planes cannot to land there. Midnight or night time reduced smog and fogging it helps planes can land there on time that I assuming it.
Q
Q
Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
Curfews in European airports, no curfews in Indian airports ?
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- CaliguyNYC
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Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
It is not climate humidity reasons. It is very simply connection to NA in Europe. EK offers multiple departures from many indian cities because they have two big NA banks. And no most people in India do not prefer the 3am departure (my mom has hated it since she the late 60’s). Part of the reason AI’s nonstops are so popular is that they arrive in India at a normal time (meaning afternoon). I think Indians just want choice. The 3am departure has merits and a departure / arrival more India focused has merits. Jet’s 3 flights BOM-LHR is really the first long haul route from India that has all the real choices you would want. In the future I would expect more of this type of variety.
Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
Lots of people are making guesses, but only a few have the right answer. They keep saying and people keep not listening. By far the main reason is connecting banks and timing for hubs. All the flights from the Western Hemisphere, especially the US and Canada, and the earliest flights from the EU arrive in LHR, FRA, AMS, CDG, etc. between 9-10am approximately. It makes sense to then have flights to India leave, say at 11 so it can carry all the connecting passengers. Unfortunately, this means the plane arrives at 2am in india, but that’s just a side affect. Then the flights leave at 3 or 4 am, get into Europe at 8am, perfect time to connect to flights back to the US and Canada, plus lots of available flights around Europe.
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- Clipper101
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Re: Why so many long haul flight to India arrive at midnight?
Banks would be the trivial outcome to look at it developing from multiple factors through the years (some if you stop to look at them appear to be very natural, like geography). Curfews, yes could be another logical factor if you are talking European connections. Although, as an exercise I have checked FRA banks to India from US, some transit times have 5-6 hours since most of US LH flights arrive between 5 - 7 AM & LH Delhi flight is at 13:40, quite a transit time don’t you think !
Read this very educational FAA document, you will find a lead to the answer from aircraft side:
https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/l ... randed.pdf
As I said, night banks is not accustomed to India, to my knowledge it is common to Gulf region & the whole Indian subcontinent. Again, to my knowledge this is the rule of thumb which was working for years, but nowadays you can find exceptions to this rule from airlines such as EK relying on frequencies for their operation.
No need for some to be abrasive & braging about having right answers, respect others intelligence please (Are we in a quiz !)
Read this very educational FAA document, you will find a lead to the answer from aircraft side:
https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/l ... randed.pdf
As I said, night banks is not accustomed to India, to my knowledge it is common to Gulf region & the whole Indian subcontinent. Again, to my knowledge this is the rule of thumb which was working for years, but nowadays you can find exceptions to this rule from airlines such as EK relying on frequencies for their operation.
No need for some to be abrasive & braging about having right answers, respect others intelligence please (Are we in a quiz !)
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