Air India's Iconic Maharaja Lounge Set for Grand Return at Delhi Airport
In a significant move to enhance its premium passenger experience, Air India has confirmed the imminent reopening of its renowned Maharaja Lounge at the Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal 3 in New Delhi. This announcement was made by the airline's CEO, Campbell Wilson, during a press event on November 24, 2025.
The revival of the Delhi lounge is a key part of the Tata-owned carrier's ambitious strategy to refresh its entire lounge network, which includes facilities in major hubs like Bengaluru, New York, and San Francisco. This initiative reflects the airline's broader transformation under its new ownership.
First Look and Lounge Accessibility
While an exact opening date was not explicitly provided, reports from ANI suggest that the new T3 Maharaja Lounge in Delhi is scheduled to be unveiled sometime in December 2025. The lounge will be exclusively available to first class and business class passengers flying with Air India, as well as eligible members of the airline's Maharaja Club loyalty program.
Alongside the international lounge, Air India has also announced plans for a new domestic lounge at Delhi’s Terminal 3, which is expected to open in the second half of 2026.
Global Lounge Expansion and Fleet Modernization
Air India's lounge upgrade is a global endeavor. The passenger lounge at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport is already operational. Simultaneously, work is actively progressing on new international lounges at San Francisco Airport, with a target completion date of February 2026, and at New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport, where upgrades are set to be finished by March 2026.
CEO Campbell Wilson emphasized that 2026 will be a pivotal year for the airline's customer experience, marked by a major fleet modernization program. The carrier is poised to receive six new wide-body aircraft in 2026, comprising a mix of Boeing B787-9 and Airbus A350-1000 models. The first of these new B787-9 aircraft is expected to arrive by the end of 2025 and is projected to re-enter service by February 2026.
Wilson outlined an aggressive retrofit schedule, with two to three wide-body aircraft being refreshed each month. By the end of 2026, approximately 67% of the B787 fleet will feature the new, upgraded interiors, with the entire fleet retrofit scheduled for completion by mid-2027.
Enhanced In-Flight Services
Complementing the hardware upgrades, Air India is also revamping its soft product. The airline has begun rolling out a new food and beverage menu across its international network. Passengers on domestic routes can look forward to the upgraded culinary experience starting in January 2026.
These comprehensive efforts are resonating with customers. Wilson revealed that the airline's Net Promoter Score (NPS), a key metric of customer satisfaction based on surveys of around 200,000 passengers, reached an all-time high of 37 in September 2025.
