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Global airport ground handler Celebi Aviation’s efforts to re-enter the Indian market have hit a setback.
An Indian appeals court has rejected a petition by Celebi seeking relief from the 15 May abrupt cancellation of its licence to provide ground-handling services across airports in the country.
The Dehi High Court upheld the government’s decision to revoke the firm’s security clearance, ruling: “On perusal of the relevant information, it indeed transpires that there are compelling national security considerations involved, which impelled the respondents to take impugned action.
“Ground handling services at airports offer deep access to airside operations, aircraft, cargo, passenger information systems and security zones.”
Celebi is a part owned Turkish company and had a presence in nine airports in India, including Delhi and Mumbai.
The ban came in the aftermath of claims by New Delhi that the Turkish establishment had extended military and other forms of support to Pakistan during the early-May conflict between the neighbouring Asian nations.
Celebi had built a strong footprint in India, especially through Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal, which was rapidly growing — it saw volumes up 24% year on year in fiscal year 2023-24. The company is said to have employed some 10,000 people in India.
While Celebi is awaiting a verdict on a similar plea before the high court in Mumbai, industry sources generally do not believe there will be a window for the company to get the ban overturned, given the ‘national security’ angle.
“The issue as to whether something is or is not in the interest of national security is not a matter for judicial review,” the Delhi court had added.
The decision is a blow for Celebi, as the Indian aviation market is on the cusp of large-scale infrastructure development and traffic expansion.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has also hit other Turkish business interests out of India. Authorities directed IndiGo, India’s largest private airline, to terminate its ‘damp lease’ deal with Turkish Airlines, involving two B777 widebody aircraft that had allowed the carrier to offer direct connections from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul. Additionally, both carriers had codeshare arrangements for several destinations across the EU and US.
IndiGo has until the end of August to wind up all operations with its Turkish partner, even though it had sought a six-month security clearance extension and even highlighted the significance of its partnership with Turkish Airlines for the Indian aviation industry.
The carrier has already stopped accepting cargo bookings for belly-hold capacity for Istanbul, according to industry sources.
Turkish Cargo continues to operate a raft of freighters out of India, offering some 20 weekly flights out of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Ahmedabad, according to industry data.
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