Air India has broken ground on a nine-acre multi-facility MRO hangar at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, expanding in-house maintenance capacity at its largest hub. Designed to accommodate one widebody and one narrowbody aircraft simultaneously, the facility will bring engineering and maintenance activities under the airline’s direct operational oversight, with the aim of improving fleet availability and reducing aircraft ground time.
The project is being developed with Delhi International Airport Ltd. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Air India CEO and Managing Director Tewolde Gebremariam, Group Head of Governance, Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Affairs P Balaji, DIAL Deputy CEO Manomay Rai and other senior executives from both organisations.
The hangar will feature a 25-metre clear height and large column-free spans for next-generation aircraft. Integrated engineering offices, an on-site spare-parts warehouse and a dedicated Cabin Shop will support inspections, cabin repairs and technical defect rectification in one location, reducing fragmented workflows and logistics requirements.
Advanced fire-protection systems are planned, alongside measures intended to meet Indian Green Building Council norms for energy and water conservation. The facility forms part of Air India’s effort to reduce reliance on external maintenance providers and develop greater self-reliance within India’s expanding aviation MRO sector. Air India has not disclosed the project cost, construction contractor or a completion and entry-into-service date.