Airport Handler Turkey’s Celebi Sues India Over Ban

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – Turkey’s Celebi Aviation is mounting a legal battle against the Indian government’s decision to revoke its security clearance, calling the move legally flawed and driven by “vague” national security claims.

Celebi Airport Services India, which handles ground operations at major Indian airports, filed a petition with the Delhi High Court on May 16, seeking to overturn the revocation issued a day earlier. In its court filing, Reuters reported, the company argued that the government failed to specify how the firm posed a threat, stating: “Mere rhetoric of national security without elaborating upon in what manner is an entity a threat… is unsustainable in law.”

The dispute comes amid rising tensions between New Delhi and Ankara, fueled by Turkey’s pro-Pakistan stance during the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. On May 15, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation withdrew Celebi’s security clearance citing the “interest of national security.”

Celebi, which provides ground handling services at airports in New Delhi, Kerala, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Goa, said in its court filing that while its shareholders are registered in Turkey, “majority end control” lies with companies not incorporated in or originating from Turkey.

India’s junior aviation minister Murlidhar Mohol acknowledged public pressure to act against the firm, stating on X: “Recognising the seriousness of the issue and the call to protect national interests, we have taken cognizance of these requests.”

Meanwhile, Delhi Airport announced via social media that it had officially ended its association with the company for both ground handling and cargo operations.

In a related development, Reuters reported that Air India has been lobbying Indian officials to block a leasing arrangement between rival IndiGo and Turkish Airlines—further underscoring the deepening strain in India-Turkey aviation ties.