Air India has broken ground on a new multi-facility Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the airline announced on 22 October 2026. Air India says the facility will strengthen its maintenance capabilities at its largest hub while improving operational efficiency and self-reliance.
The hangar will be spread across nine acres and is being designed to accommodate one widebody and one narrowbody aircraft simultaneously. According to the airline, it will be the first facility in Delhi able to do so. It will let Air India centralise key engineering and maintenance activities and bring critical functions under direct operational oversight.
Spares on site, less time on the ground
Air India lists four main operational benefits, several of which turn on parts logistics and turnaround:
- Fleet availability: centralising inspections, cabin upkeep and defect rectification will significantly reduce aircraft ground time.
- Operational efficiency: integrated engineering offices and an on-site warehouse for spare parts will eliminate fragmented workflows and reduce logistics costs.
- Passenger experience: a dedicated Cabin Shop will ensure faster interior repairs, reducing reliance on third-party vendors and minimising cabin-related defects.
- Recovery of grounded aircraft: direct access to technical teams and spares will enable faster resolution for aircraft grounded for technical reasons, minimising disruption.
The facility is designed for long-term scalability, with a 25-metre clear height and large column-free spans to accommodate next-generation aircraft. Air India says the project follows strict safety standards, including advanced fire protection, and IGBC Green Building norms for energy and water conservation, in line with its ESG commitments.
Who was there
The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India, along with senior executives from Air India and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). They included:
- P Balaji, Group Head – Governance, Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Affairs, Air India
- Basil Kwauk, Chief Operations Officer, Air India
- Jeremy Yew, Senior Vice President – Engineering & Maintenance, Air India
- Manomay Rai, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, DIAL
- Vijay K Sharma, Vice President & Head – Aviation Services Business, DIAL
- Deepika Sharma, AGM – Aero Related, Commercial Aero, DIAL
Part of a wider maintenance build-out
Air India says the facility will support its push to build greater in-house maintenance capability, improve fleet reliability and contribute to a stronger aviation ecosystem in India.
The Delhi hangar was first flagged in September 2024, when Air India broke ground on its mega MRO facility in Bengaluru. At the time, the airline said it planned “a new wide body hangar in Delhi to cater to Line Maintenance requirements” as part of developing a complete maintenance ecosystem at all major airports.
The release does not give an investment figure, a construction timeline or a completion date for the Delhi hangar.
Image: Rendering of the proposed hangar, courtesy Air India
