Air India breaks ground on MRO hangar at Delhi airport

Dhaka: Air India has broken ground on a new multi-facility Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, aiming to strengthen maintenance capabilities at its largest hub.

The facility will spread across nine acres and is being designed to accommodate one wide-body and one narrow-body aircraft at the same time. It will bring key engineering and maintenance functions under direct operational oversight.

Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Tewolde Gebremariam attended the ceremony, alongside senior executives from the airline and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).

The airline said the hangar will support its push to build more in-house maintenance capabilities, improve fleet reliability, and contribute to a stronger aviation ecosystem in India.

By centralizing inspections, cabin upkeep, and defect rectification, the facility is expected to significantly cut aircraft ground time. Integrated engineering offices and an on-site spare parts warehouse will also reduce fragmented workflows and logistics costs.

A dedicated cabin shop will enable faster repairs of interiors, reducing dependence on third-party vendors and minimizing cabin-related defects.

Direct access to technical teams and spares will further help the carrier resolve technical groundings more quickly, limiting disruptions to its operations.

The hangar will feature a 25-meter clear height and large column-free spans, allowing it to handle next-generation aircraft. It is built to strict safety standards, including advanced fire protection.

The project also aligns with the airline's environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments by following Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) norms for energy and water conservation.