Review: Air India Maharaja Business Lounge Delhi Airport (DEL)

During my Four Seasons Yacht via Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia adventure, I had a very long layover at Delhi Airport (DEL), prior to my Air India 777 first class flight. This allowed me to check out several lounges, including the new Air India Maharaja Lounge, which opened in early 2026. In this post, I’d like to review the business class section of the Air India Maharaja Lounge, and then in the next installment, I’ll review the first class section. While Air India’s transformation has been slow, I have to say, this new business class lounge is phenomenal. It has beautiful design, a great sense of place, endless food, and a full service bar with great cocktails. I’ll take it a step further — Singapore Airlines owns a stake in Air India nowadays, and I’d say this lounge very much has the Singapore Airlines ethos, as it very much reminds me of the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Lounge Changi. If you have access to the Air India Maharaja Lounge, you sure are in for a treat. If only the entire Air India experience were this elevated! Air India Business Lounge Delhi locationAir India Business Lounge Delhi hours & crowdingAir India Business Lounge Delhi entry requirementsAir India Business Lounge Delhi layout & seatingAir India Business Lounge Delhi food & drinksAir India Business Lounge Delhi bathrooms & showersBottom line The Air India Maharaja Lounge is located in Delhi Airport Terminal 3, which is the terminal for all international departures and arrivals at the airport. When you clear security and before heading to the gates, just head up to the mezzanine level where you see the “Lounges A” signage. Air India Maharaja Lounge Delhi location Air India Maharaja Lounge Delhi location On the upper level you should quickly see the (gorgeous) exterior to the Air India Maharaja Lounge! Air India Maharaja Lounge Delhi entrance The cool design continues as you step into the lounge, as you’ll be greeted by the hosts, who stand at podiums in front of a screen with pictures of beautiful landscape in India. The business class section of the lounge is to the left, while the first class section of the lounge is to the right. Air India Maharaja Lounge Delhi reception Air India Business Lounge Delhi hours & crowding The Air India Maharaja Lounge Delhi is open 24/7, as is common for lounges at the airport, given round-the-clock operations. Rush hour at the airport tends to be very late at night and in the morning, since that’s when a majority of long haul flights depart. There’s also a smaller midday bank of flights. You’ll find that the lounge is quietest in the afternoons and early evenings (which is when I took most of the below pictures — as you’ll see, the lounge was basically empty). Air India Business Lounge Delhi entry requirements The Air India Business Lounge Delhi is open to Air India business class passengers, as well as Star Alliance Gold members traveling on Air India. At least for the time being, the lounge doesn’t follow standard Star Alliance lounge access rules, which is to say that it’s not open to business class passengers and elite members traveling on other Star Alliance airlines. It’s my understanding that this policy is supposed to change in the long run, though. I’ve heard different explanations for why this policy is currently in place. Some say it’s a capacity issue, as the lounge isn’t big enough to accommodate all Star Alliance passengers during peak periods. I’ve also heard that this lounge is operated by Encalm (the same operator of several other lounges at the airport, like the Encalm Xenia Lounge), and a contract needs to be renegotiated, as Encalm doesn’t want to lose the revenue it’s getting from other lounges, by having guests redirected here. Either way, the moral of the story is that for the time being, you have to travel on Air India in order to get access to this lounge. Air India Business Lounge Delhi layout & seating For context, the overall Air India Maharaja Lounge is 16,000 square feet, and it can accommodate up to 300 guests at a time. That includes the small first class area, so I’d assume the business class section takes up around three quarters of that space, give or take. The lounge has an elegant and inviting design, though let me also mention that there’s zero natural light or views in the lounge. That’s true of most lounges at the airport, and quite honestly, most people are visiting at night anyway, when views are limited. The lounge is broken up into several unique zones, depending on whether you’re looking to eat, work, or relax. The entire lounge is set along one main corridor. Air India Business Lounge Delhi layout Air India Business Lounge Delhi layout As you enter the lounge, you’ll first see a seating area to the right, with some high top seating, as well as some comfortable leather chairs along the wall. Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating Along the left side of the lounge you’ll find a bunch of seating “clusters” with chairs, couches, dining tables, etc. Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating Meanwhile along the right side of the lounge you’ll find the huge self-serve buffet (more on that in a bit), and a bunch of seating intended for dining, with both chairs and banquettes. Most tables can accommodate two or four people. Air India Business Lounge Delhi dining seating Air India Business Lounge Delhi dining seating Air India Business Lounge Delhi dining seating Next to the dining area is the lounge’s bar, named The Aviator’s Bar, which is intended to have a speakeasy vibe. In addition to high-top seating by the bar, there are also several high-top communal tables around the bar where guests can sit. Air India Business Lounge Delhi bar Air India Business Lounge Delhi bar area As you go deeper into the lounge, you’ll find more seating intended for relaxing and lounging around, and this area of the lounge tends to stay quietest (since it’s further from the bar and buffet). This consists both of seating clusters that almost feel like living rooms, as well as rows of seats arranged in rows, facing one another. Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating The lounge then has The Globetrotter’s Study, as it’s named, intended to be a place to work or read. This includes some high-top seating, as well as a couch. Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating Air India Business Lounge Delhi seating Lastly, the lounge has The Serenity Area, as it’s called, featuring nine reclining seats, in the back corner of the lounge. Air India Business Lounge Delhi relaxation area Air India Business Lounge Delhi relaxation area A few more things to mention about the lounge. First, I was pleased to see the number of charging ports all around the lounge, as there were AC, USB-A, and USB-C outlets, at virtually all seats, which was much appreciated. Air India Business Lounge Delhi charging ports Next, I also have to say that Air India did a phenomenal job with the vibe in the lounge. I love how there’s quiet background music playing, based on Air India’s brand track, which is really relaxing, without being disruptive, even if you listen to it for hours. For that matter, I loved all the attention to detail with the design, as there are so many little design elements reflecting both India and Air India, which is great to see. Lastly, I have to acknowledge that the lounge was spotlessly clean. The lounge is extremely well staffed, and everyone working there did a great job constantly clearing plates, wiping down surfaces, etc. Air India Business Lounge Delhi food & drinks The Air India Business Lounge Delhi has a stellar buffet setup, in terms of quality, quantity, and presentation. The selection almost feels more like a nice hotel buffet than one you’d find in an airport lounge. Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet There’s a huge variety of both Indian and international dishes, and there’s even a live cooking station. I’ll let the pictures of the selection speak for themselves. Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet Air India Business Lounge Delhi live preparation station Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet Air India Business Lounge Delhi buffet When it comes to drinks, there are some fridges spread throughout the lounge with non-alcoholic drinks, as well as some coffee stations. Air India Business Lounge Delhi drinks Meanwhile alcoholic drinks are available from the bar, and there’s a tablet with the full selection of wine, cocktails, mocktails, and more. Huge credit to Air India for its inventive drink selection. Air India Business Lounge Delhi wine selection Air India Business Lounge Delhi wine selection Air India Business Lounge Delhi signature cocktails Air India Business Lounge Delhi signature cocktails Air India Business Lounge Delhi classic cocktails Air India Business Lounge Delhi signature mocktails Air India Business Lounge Delhi signature mocktails I had a negroni to drink, and it was excellent. While it would be nice if they had big cubes, I was impressed by the effort the bartender put into preparing the drink, down to rubbing the orange peel around the rim of the glass. I also had a couple of the signature cocktails over in the first class section of the lounge, which I’ll be reviewing in the next installment. Air India Business Lounge Delhi cocktail Air India Business Lounge Delhi bathrooms & showers The Air India Business Lounge Delhi bathrooms are inside the entrance and to the right, and up a ramp. Air India Business Lounge Delhi bathrooms The bathrooms are beautiful, with the men’s room having sinks, stalls, and urinals. There’s an attendant in the bathroom constantly cleaning. On the plus side, the bathroom was spotless, as you’d expect. However, am I the only one who always finds this to be a bit awkward? I know it’s super common in India and the Middle East, though. Air India Business Lounge Delhi bathroom Air India Business Lounge Delhi shower suite The lounge also has several shower suites, each with a walk-in shower, a toilet, and a sink. I’m not a huge fan of these half shielded showers, but on the plus side, the water pressure was very good. I also appreciate how the shower suites each have a toilet, since that’s not available in the facilities of many other airlines. Air India Business Lounge Delhi shower suite Air India Business Lounge Delhi shower suite Toiletries were in wall-mounted containers, from Forest Essentials. Air India Business Lounge Delhi shower suite toiletries Bottom line Air India knocked it out of the park with the business class section of its new Maharaja Lounge in Delhi. The lounge has beautiful design, excellent food and drinks, and solid amenities. Beyond that, I love the attention to detail with the music in the lounge, all the art, etc. What a treat it is to spend some time here… but even better is the first class section, which I’ll review in the next installment! What’s your take on the Air India Business Lounge Delhi?