Boycott Turkey: The Ministry of Civil Aviation said, “The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has revoked the security clearance of M/s Celebi and its associated companies on grounds related to national security.”
New Delhi: Multiple ground handling companies, including state-owned Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIASL), Bird Worldwide Flight Services and Indo Thai, are onboarding the staff of Celebi Airport Services India at various airports, and fresh airport entry passes are being issued, industry executives said on Friday (May 16). The civil aviation ministry said that arrangements have been made at all the affected airports to ensure seamless handling of passengers as well as cargo, just hours after the security clearance for Celebi was revoked on the grounds of national security on Thursday (May 15).
Civil Aviation Ministry also said that efforts were being made to ensure that employees working with Celebi are retained and continue to contribute. Celebi has more than 10,000 staff in India. The executives said AI Airport Services Ltd (AIASL), AISATS, Bird Worldwide Flight Services Pvt Ltd and Indo Thai Airport Management Services Pvt Ltd, among others, are onboarding the Celebi staff.
The Airport Entry Passes (AEPs) were issued to the staff in the name of Celebi and now, fresh AEPs are being issued to them in the name of the company which has onboarded them, the executives added. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has set a deadline till May 19 for the issuance of the new AEPs.
Celebi was providing services at 9 airports-
Mumbai
Delhi
Cochin
Kannur
Bangalore
Hyderabad
Goa (GOX)
Ahmedabad
Chennai
According to the executives, respective airport operators will soon be floating tenders to appoint ground-handling service providers at the affected airports. AIASL handles around 560 flights daily at around 85 airports in the country. The company has around 20,000 employees. Industry executives said AIASL has taken hundreds of Celebi staff and is working to ensure seamless ground handling services at some of the airports where Celebi used to provide the services.
Indo Thai Airport Services to handle work at Mumbai airport
One of the executives said that AIASL might rope in staff from other airports to handle services at the Celebi-served airports in order to ensure that there are no disruptions. Mumbai airport operator MIAL on Friday (May 16) said Indo Thai Airport Services will be carrying out the ground handling works at the airport for three months.
After terminating the concession agreement with Celebi, Delhi airport operator DIAL has given the works on the existing terms to a company which already has security clearance as a regulated agent to carry on cargo business at airports, according to a regulatory filing. The details about the company were not disclosed in the filing by GMR Airports Ltd (GAL).
“The above mentioned transaction is a related party transaction and is on an arm’s length basis, and promoter/promoter group/group companies of the company do not have any interest in the said transaction, other than their indirect shareholding in both DIAL and GAL,” the filing said.
Celebi Aviation, Turkish Firm, challenges security clearance revocation
Meanwhile, Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd on Friday moved the Delhi High Court against the decision of BCAS revoking its security clearance in the “interest of national security”.
The decision of BCAS came against the backdrop of Turkiye backing for Pakistan and its condemnation of India’s recent strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under ‘Operation Sindoor’. Pakistan had also used Turkish drones on a large scale in the military conflict with India.
Following the BCAS move, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, on Thursday (May 15), said national interest and public safety are paramount and non-negotiable. Meanwhile, Poonam Verma Sengupta, Partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, said the termination of arrangements with Celebi also reflects a broader policy decision, where India is prioritising self-defence and conducting a deeper scrutiny of foreign entities operating in sensitive infrastructure sectors.
“By reassessing these agreements, India is not only safeguarding its aviation market- it is also indicating that future access will be contingent upon strategic balance, commercial fairness, and national interests,” Verma said.
