Why does PM Modi prefer night travel for foreign tours?

In the last over a fortnight Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had a busy foreign visit schedule. He embarked on a three-day visit to Germany, Denmark and France earlier this month and then went to Nepal on Buddha Jayanti. The Prime Minister will be off on another important visit to Japan next week, continuing his jet-setting schedule this month.

If a close look is taken at his schedule, there is a pattern. He mostly travels during the night to save time, attends engagements and meetings the next day and then flies overnight to the next destination. His visit to Japan will be no different. He will be leaving on May 22 night, arriving early morning in Tokyo on May 23 and will be off to work straight away. He will hold meetings with top business honchos and address the Indian community. PM Modi will next day attend the Quad meeting, hold bilaterals and then fly back the same night to India.

Looking at his recent visits, the Prime Minister spent just one night in Germany and Denmark each. Similarly, during the Japan visit also, he will spend just one night and will be travelling back during the night.

Overall, PM Modi would have visited five countries this month while spending a total of only three nights in these countries. He would have spent four nights on the plane to save time. A source who knows Prime Minister Modi for several years explained that long back in the early nineties when travelling as an ordinary citizen, Narendra Modi use to put the special frequent-flyer card to good use.

At that time, he used to visit the destinations during the day and usually take the last flight back so that hotel-stay money could be saved. He used to sleep in the plane and airports very often, the source added. It has turned into one of his habits to save time and resources, sources close to PM added.