Air India is strengthening its international passenger experience strategy with the launch of its Maharaja Lounge at San Francisco airport, marking a key milestone in the airline’s ongoing transformation under the Tata Group. The lounge is the first to be opened outside India since the acquisition of the loss-making carrier in January 2022.
“Since 2022, there has been a lot of effort to transform this airline, to make it a world-class airline with an Indian heart. A lot of focus has been put on elevating the customer experience on various fronts,” Mohit Gandhi, Head of Lounge Strategy at Air India, said last week.
Speaking after the launch of the lounge here last week, Gandhi said the expansion is the next step in transforming the carrier into a global airline with an Indian core.
The new facility underscores Air India’s focus on North America, a key market where the airline currently operates around 65 weekly flights between India and the region.
The lounge has been designed by global hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) and is the second in a series of signature lounges planned by the airline. In February, Air India inaugurated its first Maharaja Lounge at Delhi airport.
In a statement last week, Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said North America has long been a key pillar of its network, and the continued investments reflect both this commitment and the airline’s ambition to introduce a new standard of travel experiences in the region in the time to come.
Spread across 3,300 square feet, the San Francisco lounge is available for First and Business Class passengers, as well as Platinum and Gold members of the airline’s Maharaja Club loyalty programme.
Air India currently operates a fleet of around 190 aircraft, with new planes steadily being inducted to expand capacity and modernise operations.