Celebi is among three companies providing both cargo and passenger terminal ground handling at Delhi, with AISATS and Bird Group being the other two
New Delhi: As a direct fallout of Turkiey's “active” participation and support to Pakistan during India’s Operation Sindoor, India on Thursday revoked the security clearance to its company Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd “with immediate effect in the interest of national security.” The Adani group, meanwhile, terminated its partnership with Chinese firm DragonPass that handles airport lounge access.
A notification issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) under the ministry of civil aviation said…. “Security clearance in r/o Celebi Airport services India Pvt. Limited is revoked with immediate effect in the interest of National Security.” Celebi’s website said it handles 58,000 flights in India annually; 5.4 lakh tonnes of cargo and employs 7,800 employees.
Responding to the order, Celebi said it was not a Turkish organisation and that its business in India was truly an Indian enterprise, led and managed by Indian professionals. Reacting to reports that the firm had an influential Turkish nexus, it issued an official statement stating: "Celebi Aviation India unequivocally refutes all misleading and factually incorrect allegations circulating on social media regarding the company's ownership and operations in India..."
The Turkish firm was engaged in high-security task operations at nine Indian airports — Mumbai, Delhi, Cochin, Kannur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Goa, Ahmedabad and Chennai – since November 2022. Celebi is among three companies providing both cargo and passenger terminal ground handling at Delhi, with AISATS and Bird Group being the other two. Operators of affected airports rushed to make stopgap arrangements by asking other ground handlers to fill in for Celebi’s void.
GMR-DIAL that runs Delhi airport said, “In compliance with a directive from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to revoke the security clearance of Çelebi Airport Services India Pvt. Ltd. on national security grounds, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has formally ended its association with Çelebi entities responsible for ground handling and cargo operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). Çelebi Airport Services India Pvt. Ltd. and Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt. Ltd. were overseeing ground handling and cargo terminal functions, respectively.”
Following the termination, DIAL said it is working closely with existing service providers to ensure uninterrupted operations while safeguarding employee welfare.
“To ensure continuity and operational stability, DIAL is actively coordinating with the existing ground handling service providers - AISATS, and Bird Group. In case of cargo operations, DIAL is working towards onboarding one of the pre-approved cargo handlers to ensure uninterrupted cargo operations. In addition, DIAL has assured that all employees currently on the rolls of Çelebi entities for cargo and ground handling services at IGI Airport will be transitioned to the new employer(s) with immediate effect. These employees will continue under their existing terms and conditions of employment. DIAL assures passengers, airlines, and cargo stakeholders that every effort is being made to maintain high standards of service and operational efficiency throughout the transition,” DIAL said in a statement on Thursday.
Responding to the Indian government’s move and safety concerns raised by various quarters, Celebi in a statement said, “We firmly reiterate that all our facilities are governed and regularly audited by Indian aviation and security authorities, including CISF, BCAS, and AAI. We remain in full compliance with Indian aviation, national security, and tax regulations, and operate with complete transparency.”
It further said its business in India was ”truly an Indian enterprise, led and managed by Indian professionals, deeply invested in the country, and committed to its growth. We are not a Turkish organisation by any standard and adhere fully to globally accepted practices of corporate governance, transparency, and neutrality, with no political affiliations or links to any foreign government or individuals.”
The Adani group, meanwhile, terminated its partnership with Chinese firm DragonPass that handles airport lounge access. “Our association with DragonPass, which provided access to airport lounges, has been terminated with immediate effect. DragonPass customers will no longer have access to lounges at Adani-managed airports. This change will have no impact on the airport lounge and travel experience for other customers,” a spokesperson for Adani Airport Holdings said.
Turkey and Azerbaijan had condemned India's recent strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan also used Turkish drones on a large scale during the conflict. There are calls in certain quarters for boycotting Turkish goods and tourism.
This is India's first overt move against a Turkish firm, though for the last few years, the government has ramped up its engagement with the traditional opponents and antagonists of Turkey — Greece, Armenia and Cyprus, and Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates in the Arab bloc. It has been found that a majority of the drones fired at India on the night of May 8 included the Turkey-made Asisguard Songar and the Bayraktar TB2, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle. A Turkish warship had reached Karachi before Operation Sindoor started and shortly after, a Turkish Air Force C-130 had landed in the city.
Celebi's first step into India started off with a joint venture with a mandate to provide comprehensive and world-class services at Mumbai International Airport. Within a year, Celebi was registered in India to provide ground handling as Celebi Airport Services India and cargo services as Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India at Delhi International Airport," the company’s website said.
Ground handlers at airports handle various tasks to ensure the efficient and safe operation of aircraft on the ground. They load and unload baggage, cargo, and mail. They also assist with passenger check-in, boarding, and ground services like fuel delivery, aircraft maintenance, and cleaning. Additionally, they guide aircraft into parking positions and ensure the safe movement of aircraft on the ground.
Meanwhile, the government is seeking to discourage Indian tourists from visiting Turkey and Azarbaijan for destination weddings and shooting of films, sources said. The move is likely to hit Indian tourist footfalls to the two countries.
"A large number of Indian tourists visit both Turkiye and Azerbaijan every year bringing in a sizeable amount of revenue. There is active consideration in the government to discourage Indians from visiting the two countries," sources privy to the development said. According to estimates, about three lakh Indian tourists visited Turkiye in 2023 and over two lakh to Azerbaijan. India's exports to Turkiye stood at USD 5.2 billion during April-February 2024-25 as against USD 6.65 billion in 2023-24.
"Indians spend crores of rupees in destination weddings, giving very good revenue to the two countries. We will see how we can slow down the hosting of such events by the Indians in Turkiye and Azerbaijan which supported Pakistan against India," the sources said.
While India's trade ties with the two countries have already come under scrutiny, multiple educational institutions, including Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia , have suspended their collaboration with universities in Turkiye.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) and All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) on Wednesday appealed to Indian artists and producers to boycott Turkiye as a shooting destination for its pro-Pakistan stance.
"From the government side also, there will be no support to film-makers shooting films in Turkiye and Azerbaijan," the sources said.
