Air India begins construction of MRO hangar at Delhi Airport

Air India announced on Thursday that it has commenced construction on a multi-facility Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The project is designed to strengthen the airline group's fleet upkeep at its primary hub while boosting operational self-reliance.

Spread across nine acres, the facility is being built to accommodate one widebody and one narrowbody aircraft simultaneously. According to the airline, the infrastructure will enable the Tata Group-owned carrier to centralize key engineering and maintenance activities, bringing critical functions under direct operational oversight.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Air India CEO and MD Tewolde Gebremariam, along with senior executives from Air India and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). The event also saw the presence of the Air India group's Head for Governance, Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Affairs, P Balaji.

Once completed, the MRO hangar will become the first facility in the national capital capable of simultaneously accommodating a widebody and a narrowbody aircraft. The airline stated that the new facility will support its ongoing efforts to build greater in-house maintenance capabilities, improve fleet reliability, and contribute to the development of a stronger aviation ecosystem in India.

Designed for long-term scalability, the hangar features a 25-metre clear height and large column-free spans to accommodate next-generation aircraft. The layout includes integrated engineering offices and an on-site warehouse for spare parts, which is expected to eliminate fragmented workflows and reduce logistics costs.

The facility is intended to help the airline enhance fleet availability by centralizing inspections, cabin upkeep, and defect rectification. Additionally, a dedicated cabin shop will be established to ensure faster interior repairs, reducing reliance on third-party vendors, minimizing cabin-related defects, and providing direct access to technical teams and spares. Air India noted that this setup will also enable faster resolution of aircraft grounded due to technical reasons, thereby minimizing operational disruptions.

"Investments in proprietary infrastructure like in-house MRO facilities are critical for large-scale operations aiming for long-term efficiency and reduced dependency on third-party vendors. By centralizing engineering, parts warehousing, and cabin maintenance at a primary hub like Delhi, Air India is systematically addressing operational bottlenecks and turnaround times. This move underscores a broader industry shift toward asset control and self-reliance, which directly impacts asset utilization and bottom-line stability in the aviation sector." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes