Red eye flights
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Red eye flights are those flights operated by airlines from about 01:00 AM to about 04:00AM every night.
Red eye flights could be costly to airlines operating them, because many of them leave only half full or with less than half of the airplane being filled. Nevertheless, red eye flights are needed to accommodate the influx of millions of travellers who fly each year. Red eye flights may also be necessary to reposition aircraft for the following day's schedule. The term "red eye flight" derives from the sleepiness symptoms of having red eyes; most passengers on these flights will probably take a nap during the late night flight.
In the 1930s and 1940s, it was unthinkable of having red eye flights, as most airports did not have the equipment necessary to work at night. But with the advent of the jet age and improvement of several airports around the world, night flights surged, and so did red eye flights.
Most major airlines operate "red eyes", usually at a much lower price than a regular flight would normally cost a passenger. On the other hand, there are still many airports that do not function after certain hours, so the number of destinations from where red eye flights can take-off is limited only to those airports that are operational after 12 midnight.