Delhi HC to Hear Celebi’s Plea Against Revoking of Security License
Turkish firm challenges BCAS decision, citing vague national security concerns and job losses
Mumbai: The Delhi High Court on Monday will hear two pleas by Turkish company Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd against the decision of the aviation watchdog-Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), revoking their security clearance in the ‘interest of national security’. The pleas were filed on Friday and are listed for hearing before Justice Sachin Datta on May 19.
Celebi in its petition, has argued that "vague" national security concerns were cited without reasoning. The petition also states that no warning was issued before announcing the decision. It has asked the court to set aside the decision citing loss of jobs and investor confidence.
"Mere rhetoric of national security without elaborating upon in what manner is an entity a threat to national security is unsustainable in law," said Celebi Aviation in its petition to the court.
The Istanbul-headquartered firm has said that over one-third of its $585 million consolidated revenue in 2024 came from its Indian subsidiaries. It entered India in 2009 and, since then has invested over $250 million and employs more than 10,000 Indians. It operates at nine airports across the country—including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad—through five different subsidiaries. Çelebi Airport Services India, the largest among them, was operating at six airports.
At Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, it has nearly 70 per cent of the ground-handling business. According to its website, Celebi handles around 58,000 flights and 5,40,00 tonne of cargo annually in India. Since Celebi’s operations suspension, it shares have fallen by 20 per cent on Borsa Istanbul resulting in total market value loss of over Rs 2,500 crore in two days.
According to reports, with Çelebi’s operations suspended, several airports and airlines in India are now shifting to alternative ground handlers such as AI Airport Services, Air India SATS, and Bird Group.
The revocation, announced by BCAS, states that the presence of Celebi in secure airside areas may not be safe.
Çelebi maintained that its Indian operations are “truly an Indian enterprise” managed by Indian professionals and “not a Turkish organisation by any standard.”
The action by Indian authorities comes amid a diplomatic backlash over Turkey’s support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Turkey had condemned India's strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country.
