Air India breaks ground for MRO hangar at Delhi Airport

Air India announced the ground-breaking of its new multi-facility Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), marking another significant milestone in the airline’s transformation journey. The facility will strengthen Air India’s maintenance capabilities at its largest hub while enhancing operational efficiency and self-reliance. (PHOTO: Air India) Spread across nine acres, the state-of-the-art facility is being designed to accommodate one widebody and one narrowbody aircraft simultaneously. It will enable Air India to centralise key engineering and maintenance activities, bringing critical functions under direct operational oversight. The new MRO facility will support Air India’s efforts to build greater in-house maintenance capabilities, improve fleet reliability, and contribute to the development of a stronger aviation ecosystem in India. Enhanced maintenance efficiency is also expected to support improved operational performance and a more reliable travel experience for passengers. 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), including 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; and Deepika Sharma, AGM – Aero Related, Commercial Aero, DIAL, among others. Air India upgrades Business Class food service on long-haul international flights (PHOTO: Air India) Air India recently announced the introduction of an elevated multicourse fine dining service for guests in Business Class on the airline’s long-haul and ultra long-haul routes. Launched on flights between India and the United Kingdom (Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham), the enhanced service will be progressively expanded across Air India’s Airbus A350, Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 777-300 aircraft, further enhancing the premium inflight dining experience on other international routes. This new service places Air India alongside leading international airlines that offer restaurant-style fine dining experiences in Business Class, further strengthening the airline’s premium proposition and setting benchmarks in global service excellence. Created specifically for international long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights, the new service introduces an elegant, multi-course dining format that allows Business Class customers to enjoy their meal at a more leisurely pace. Moving away from a traditional tray presentation, the service introduces linen-clad tables, individually plated meal-courses and dedicated tableware for appetisers, mains and desserts, bringing greater structure and finesse to the meal service to create a restaurant-inspired experience in the skies. The carefully choreographed dining ritual combines refined presentation, personalised service and greater flexibility, allowing customers to engage with the experience according to their individual preferences. Every detail is designed to showcase the cuisine while reflecting the artistry, care and warmth that define Air India’s contemporary approach to premium hospitality. Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India, said: “At Air India, we are continually reimagining every aspect of the customer experience. The introduction of our fine dining-style, course-by-course meal service in Business Class is another step in our broader Air India transformation journey, creating a globally benchmarked premium travel experience while remaining rooted in the warmth and authenticity of Indian hospitality. This will further elevate the onboard hospitality experience through thoughtful design, refined presentation, and personalised service.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]