Air India opens new Maharaja Lounge at Delhi airport as Tata-led revamp gathers pace

Air India has taken another step in its revamp under the Tata Group, inaugurating a new premium Maharaja Lounge at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as the airline prepares for major upgrades across its fleet and customer experience.

Spread across 16,000 square feet, the new lounge can accommodate around 300 guests and features separate ‘Business’ and ‘First Class’ sections. The airline said similar lounges will be opened in key international destinations, including San Francisco, New York and other cities.

Speaking to PTI after the inauguration, Air India Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson said it is an “exciting time” for the airline, with major changes set to become visible both in the air and on the ground during 2026.

"By the end of this year we'll have about half, a little bit more than half of our wide-body aircraft upgraded to a new standard. It will take another 18-24 months beyond that to complete the rest of the fleet (upgrade)... but increasingly we will have a very much more consistent world-class experience on Air India.

“It is an exciting time and I think the new Air India is starting to become visible,” he added.

In a statement issued on Friday, Wilson described the opening of the Delhi lounge as a significant step in the airline’s broader transformation plan. He said Air India’s strategic expansion includes substantial investments to build premium customer experience platforms across the global network it operates.

The Air India Group, which comprises Air India and Air India Express, currently operates a fleet of over 300 aircraft.