Turkey's Celebi Vows Legal Fight Against India’s Termination of Airport Pacts

Turkiye’s Celebi Hava Servisi AS announced it will pursue all administrative and legal remedies to challenge the abrupt termination of its subsidiaries’ licence and concession agreements in India, following the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security’s (BCAS) revocation of its security clearance on Thursday, citing national security concerns.

The decision, linked to Turkiye’s support for Pakistan after India’s strikes on terror camps, led to the suspension of Celebi’s operations at nine Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.

In a filing to Turkiye’s stock exchange, Celebi detailed the termination of four key agreements: a 2034-valid cargo concession with Delhi International Airport Ltd (74% Celebi-owned), a 2032-valid ground handling licence with Ahmedabad International Airport Ltd (61% Celebi-owned), a 2036-valid equipment service and 2029-valid ground handling concession with Mumbai International Airport Ltd (59% Celebi-owned), and a 2030-valid concession with Delhi International Airport Ltd (99.9% Celebi-owned).

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Celebi, employing over 10,000 in India for 15 years, denied any security breaches, calling the allegations “unfounded.”

The BCAS order affected Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd, Celebi GH India Pvt Ltd, Celebi Nas Airport Services India Pvt Ltd, Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd, and Celebi GS Chennai Pvt Ltd, operating across Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Chennai.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu emphasized that “national interest and public safety are non-negotiable.” The ministry is coordinating with airport operators to ensure a smooth transition, aiming to retain Celebi’s workforce.

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