Air India’s unveiling of its new Maharaja Lounge at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport marks a striking new chapter in the flag carrier’s transformation from legacy airline to contemporary global player. Located in Terminal 3’s international pier, the flagship space has been purpose built to reset expectations of what Indian aviation hospitality can feel like, blending a refined design language with a strong sense of place. As it opens to guests in February 2026, the lounge promises a step change in comfort, style and service for premium travellers passing through the country’s busiest international hub.
A new flagship at the heart of Air India’s reinvention
The Maharaja Lounge at Terminal 3 has been conceived as far more than a waiting area. For Air India, it is a physical embodiment of the “New Air India Experience” that the Tata Group owned carrier has been steadily rolling out across cabins, uniforms, branding and onboard service. The lounge is the airline’s first true flagship on home soil, designed to signal that India’s oldest airline is prepared to compete head to head with leading global carriers in the premium space.
Spread across roughly 16,000 square feet on the mezzanine level of the international pier, the lounge sits just past immigration and security, above the main duty free area. This position at the heart of Delhi’s international operation ensures a natural flow of long haul passengers and makes the lounge a showcase not only for Indian travellers but also for transit guests connecting across the airline’s growing international network. For many visitors, it will be their first immersive encounter with the refreshed Air India brand.
The opening also closes a transition period that began when Air India shuttered its earlier and more modest Terminal 3 lounge for a full scale overhaul. For more than a year, eligible passengers were rerouted to partner facilities while construction teams stripped the old space back to its shell. The new Maharaja Lounge is the result of that ground up rebuild, transforming what had long been seen as a dated facility into one of the airport’s most ambitious premium spaces.
Importantly for travellers, the lounge is the first in a wider rollout of new and refurbished spaces planned across India and key international gateways. With upgrades underway at airports such as New York and San Francisco, Delhi’s Maharaja Lounge is intended as the template and testing ground for a new generation of Air India lounges.
Design that marries Indian heritage with modern luxury
The design of the new Maharaja Lounge has been led by international hospitality studio Hirsch Bedner Associates, known for high end hotels and resorts around the world. Their brief was to create an environment that felt unmistakably Indian but fundamentally contemporary, reflecting the airline’s new visual identity while avoiding nostalgia for its own sake. The result is a series of interconnected spaces that combine warm materials, ambient lighting and curated art with subtle brand signatures.
Guests arrive into a generous reception lobby anchored by a large digital screen featuring the airline’s Maharaja figure reimagined for a new era. Staff greet travellers at a bank of check in counters, while overhead lighting and marble floors set the tone for the experience ahead. Look down and the flooring reveals a carved pattern that echoes Air India’s signature window inspired vista motif, a detail that rewards a second glance and reinforces the link to the airline’s broader rebrand.
Beyond reception, the lounge opens into a sequence of seating and dining zones designed to feel more like a premium hotel than a traditional airport facility. Rich textiles, muted colours and natural finishes soften the acoustics and provide visual calm in contrast to the bustle of the terminal below. Thoughtfully placed lamps, artworks and screens break the space into human scale pockets, encouraging guests to linger rather than simply pass time.
Art and decor play a key role in connecting the lounge to India’s cultural heritage. Wall pieces and installations draw on regional craft traditions, architectural forms and contemporary Indian design, without becoming a museum of clichés. The aim, according to the design direction, is to tell a story of a confident, outward looking India through subtle references that frequent travellers can appreciate on repeat visits.
Thoughtful zoning for work, rest and socialising
With capacity for around 300 guests, the Maharaja Lounge has been planned as a collection of distinct zones, each tuned to a different style of use. Rather than a single open hall filled with identical armchairs, the layout consciously alternates between quieter pockets and livelier communal areas to cater to the varied needs of long haul travellers. This zoning is central to the lounge’s comfort credentials.
For those who need to work, dedicated business areas are equipped with large tables, task lighting, plentiful power outlets and high speed connectivity. These sections are set slightly apart from the main circulation routes to reduce noise, but remain visually open so guests do not feel isolated. Screens provide flight information at a glance, helping passengers keep an eye on boarding times without reaching for their phones every few minutes.
Travellers seeking to unwind will find calm corners furnished with softer seating, reclining chairs and subtle lighting. These relaxation zones are ideal for early morning arrivals or red eye departures, particularly for guests who value a quiet place to decompress after crossing time zones. Massage chairs and a designated rest area help weary passengers catch a short break between flights.
Balancing these are social spaces closer to the dining and bar counters, where the energy level is intentionally higher. Here, banquette seating, communal tables and small clusters of lounge chairs encourage conversation, whether between colleagues, families or solo travellers striking up a chat. The layout allows guests to intuitively choose the atmosphere that suits them best, creating a sense of personal control that is often missing in crowded terminals.
Elevated dining and a distinctly Indian tea experience
Air India has given particular attention to the culinary offering inside the Maharaja Lounge, positioning food and drink as a central part of the experience rather than an afterthought. Multiple buffet counters and live cooking stations present a rotation of Indian and international dishes, designed to appeal to both local palates and global tastes. The approach reflects the airline’s broader investment in upgrading menus across its fleet.
Travellers can expect a spread that moves comfortably from regional Indian favourites to familiar Western classics, with options tailored to different times of day. The emphasis is on freshness and variety, with vegetarian choices well represented and staff on hand to guide guests through the selection. For those on tight connections, the layout allows a quick, efficient meal, while passengers with longer layovers can settle in for a more leisurely dining experience.
One of the lounge’s signature touches is a dedicated tea programme that leans into India’s long standing chai culture. A roaming tea trolley circulates through the seating areas, offering freshly brewed blends served to individual preference, from robust masala chai to lighter, single origin options. Accompanied by a selection of snacks and savouries, this service is designed as a moment of personalised hospitality that differentiates the lounge from more generic international offerings.
The beverage selection extends to a well stocked bar in the main dining zone, where guests can choose from a range of spirits, wines and beers alongside soft drinks and juices. The intention is not simply to mirror what travellers might find in other global lounges, but to present it in an environment that feels distinctly Indian in its sensibility and pace.
First Class exclusivity and tailored privacy
The Maharaja Lounge is carefully divided between an expansive Business section and a more intimate First Class enclave, acknowledging the different expectations of these passenger groups. Of the roughly 300 guest capacity, the majority is dedicated to Business travellers, while an exclusive wing is reserved for those flying in Air India’s top cabin. This configuration reflects the airline’s push to elevate its premium positioning across long haul routes.
First Class guests are guided to the right from the central reception into a quieter, more secluded space with its own seating, dining and service elements. Here, the layout places greater emphasis on privacy, with fewer seats arranged in more generously proportioned clusters. Finishes are subtly more luxurious, and the overall atmosphere is closer to a private club than a public lounge.
Service expectations in this area are deliberately high touch. Staff ratios are increased to allow for more personalised attention, whether that means tailoring meal timing to suit an individual’s schedule, assisting with itinerary changes, or simply ensuring that guests can move through their pre flight routines with minimal friction. For travellers who value discretion, the separate First Class wing offers a clear buffer from the busier Business side.
This two tiered approach also helps Air India better manage flows at peak times. By ring fencing capacity for its most premium passengers, the airline can protect the sense of space and quiet that is central to the First Class proposition, even as overall lounge usage rises with network growth.
Eligibility, access and how to make the most of a visit
Access to the new Maharaja Lounge is anchored around Air India’s premium cabins and its loyal frequent flyer base. From mid February 2026, the doors will open progressively to passengers travelling in Business and First Class on Air India operated flights, as well as Gold and Platinum members of the airline’s Maharaja Club programme. In addition, eligible Star Alliance Gold customers travelling on the carrier or its alliance partners from Terminal 3 will be able to use the facility, extending the lounge’s reach across a wide pool of international travellers.
For those planning to experience the lounge, timing is worth considering. With its location immediately past security and immigration, the space is particularly convenient for guests on long haul departures who prefer to clear formalities early and relax before boarding. Arriving two to three hours before an international flight typically allows enough time to explore the different zones, enjoy a meal and perhaps fit in a brief work session or shower if available as part of the evolving amenity set.
Travellers transiting through Delhi can treat the lounge as a much needed refuge between sectors. The clear signage from the main concourse makes it relatively easy to find, and once inside, the combination of seating types and service styles means it is possible to tailor the visit to the length and purpose of the layover. Business travellers may gravitate toward the work areas, while families might prefer the more open social sections closer to the dining counters.
Because access is restricted to eligible premium passengers and frequent flyers, the environment is curated to maintain a sense of calm even at busier travel banks. For readers of TheTraveler.org planning upcoming trips through Delhi, checking your ticket class and loyalty status in advance can help clarify whether the Maharaja Lounge will be part of your journey and, if so, how best to build it into your pre flight routine.
A key pillar in Air India’s global ambitions
The launch of the Maharaja Lounge at Delhi’s Terminal 3 is not an isolated upgrade but a strategic piece of Air India’s broader reinvention plan. Under new ownership and leadership, the airline has committed substantial investment to modernising its fleet, refurbishing cabins, enhancing soft product and repositioning itself as a credible choice for premium international travel. Signature lounges in key hubs are essential to that ambition.
In this context, Delhi serves as the flagship, setting benchmarks that upcoming lounges in other cities will be expected to meet or exceed. Projects are already in motion at major overseas gateways, reflecting an understanding that premium customers judge an airline’s credibility across the entire journey, from check in to final arrival. A consistent lounge experience, paired with upgraded onboard products, helps build that trust over time.
For India as a destination, the new lounge carries symbolic weight as well. It presents international visitors with a vision of contemporary Indian hospitality that is polished, confident and globally aware, yet rooted in local culture. At a time when Delhi is competing with other Asian hubs for long haul traffic and transit flows, such investments send a clear signal that the city and its home carrier intend to be part of the premium travel conversation.
Most importantly for travellers, the Maharaja Lounge raises the bar on what it means to start or end a journey in Delhi. Whether you are a frequent business flyer criss crossing continents or a leisure traveller beginning a long awaited holiday, the space has been crafted to offer a sense of calm, care and comfort that extends well beyond the gate. As it welcomes its first guests, the lounge stands as both a promise and a preview of the new chapter Air India is determined to write in global aviation.