New Delhi, Feb. 23: Passengers taking select international flights out of Delhi can now check in their luggage at a Metro station hours in advance and make a sightseeing tour of the city before heading to the airport.

Delhi Metro’s airport line today launched check-in facilities for international fliers at two of its stations. Initially, Air India is offering the Metro check-in for flights to five Persian Gulf countries and Nepal. Jet Airways is offering this only to Kathmandu passengers and Kingfisher to those bound for Hong Kong.

“Fliers will be able to check in and then take a Delhi Tourism bus around the city, before coming back to catch their flights. They can either take a Metro or directly go to the airport,” said a Reliance source.

A Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary, Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd, operates the airport line, which marked its first anniversary today. Metro had begun check-in services for domestic fliers of Air India, Jet and Kingfisher in July 2011.

The international check-in is available at the New Delhi and Shivaji Stadium stations, which are close to New Delhi railway station and Connaught Place, respectively.

Airline check-in is available from 5am to 10pm but closes two-and-a-half hours before the flight’s departure. A flier can check in, deposit his luggage and take a boarding card up to eight hours before a flight’s departure.

Air India spokesperson Pravin Bhatnagar said that after checking in at a Metro station, a flier must report at counter F13 or F14 at the airport’s Terminal 3. “Once they report there, the baggage will be loaded onto the flight. They then proceed to customs and immigration,” he said.