The past few days have seen a growing clamour for a travel boycott of Turkey and review of Turkish firms’ presence in India in the wake of Operation Sindoor.
New Delhi | Updated: May 16, 2025 05:15 IST
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The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revokes security clearance for Turkish airport ground handling company CELEBI with immediate effect: Order. (Source: File)Amid the backlash in India over Turkey’s support for Pakistan in the in the India-Pakistan conflict, India’s aviation security regulator Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Thursday revoked the security clearance of an Indian arm—Çelebi Airport Services India—of Turkey-headquartered airport ground handling major Çelebi Aviation Holding in the interest of “national security” with immediate effect.
Defending itself, Çelebi Airport Services India said that it is “truly an Indian enterprise” led and managed by Indian professionals, and is “not a Turkish organisation by any standard”. In a media statement, the company said that it is a globally operated aviation services company with no political links or affiliation, and is majority-owned by international institutional investors from various parts of the world. The company also termed as “factually incorrect” the allegations about its ownership that have been doing rounds on social media. These include the claim that Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar—daughter of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—is a part owner in Çelebi. The company categorically rejected this claim.
The past few days have seen a growing clamour for a travel boycott of Turkey and review of Turkish firms’ presence in India in the wake of Operation Sindoor. Apart from Ankara’s open support for Islamabad amid the India-Pakistan military conflagration of last week, the use of Turkish drones by Pakistan against India has added to the disapproval for Turkey in India. Questions were also raised particularly on Çelebi from some quarters, as the company operates at a number of Indian airports, which are seen as part of critical and security-related infrastructure.
“In the exercise of power conferred upon DG (Director General), BCAS, the security clearance in r/o Celebi Airport Services India Pvt. Ltd is hereby revoked with immediate effect in the interest of National Security. This issues with the approval of DG, BCAS,” a BCAS order issued on Thursday stated. The decision effectively brings most of Çelebi Airport Services India’s operations to a grinding halt.
Responding to reporters’ questions on Çelebi earlier on Thursday in Jammu, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu had said: “We will take a decision in the interest of the nation. This is a security aspect. We are talking to the security agencies also. We will see what decision needs to be taken”.
Çelebi provides ground handling services to various international and domestic airlines operating out of nine airports, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Kannur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Goa (Mopa). The Çelebi group has presence in India through two other companies apart from Çelebi Airport Services India. These are joint venture companies ÇelebiNAS Airport Services India and Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India. The BCAS order mentions only Çelebi Airport Services India, and the government has so far not commented on whether the order has any implications for the other two Çelebi firms in the country.
ÇelebiNAS Airport Services India—a joint venture between Çelebi and Kuwait-based NAS—is a ground handling agent at the Mumbai airport, while Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management is a joint venture between Çelebi and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), and provides cargo services. According to information on Çelebi Aviation Holding’s website, its India operations span 58,000 flights and 5.4 lakh tonnes of cargo annually. Çelebi said it directly employs over 10,000 Indians and has contributed over $200 million in long-term infrastructure investments in India.
The sudden cancellation of Çelebi Airport Services India’s security clearance could lead to some problems for airlines that are availing its services, who would now have to quickly make arrangements for ground handling by other firms. The other major ground handling players in India’s aviation sector include AI Airport Services, Air India SATS Airport Services, and the Bird group.
Ground handling refers to operations that are critical for flights to be prepared and operated. These include passenger handling and check-in, baggage handling, cargo handling and management, aircraft servicing and maintenance, ramp services, and catering.
‘Not a Turkish organisation’ – Çelebi defends itself
“Çelebi Aviation India unequivocally refutes all misleading, and factually incorrect allegations circulating on social media regarding the company’s ownership and operations in India…Çelebi Aviation India is a professionally governed, globally operated aviation services company. Today, it is majority-owned (65%) by international institutional investors from across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Western Europe. Actera Partners II L.P., a Jersey-registered fund holds 50% ownership in Çelebi Havacılık Holding A.Ş. (Çelebi Aviation Holding). The remaining 15% is held by Alpha Airport Services BV, a Dutch-registered entity,” Çelebi Aviation India said in a statement.
“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,” it added.
Responding specifically to social media speculation claiming Çelebi’s links to Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, the company said: “For the record and in line with complete transparency there is no one named Sümeyye owning any shareholding in the parent organisation. The Turkish shareholding is solely limited to members of the founding Çelebioğlu family; Mr. Can Çelebioğlu and Ms. Canan Çelebioğlu (each holding 17.5%)… The company was originally established in 1958 by their father as Turkey’s first private and independent ground handling company. Both siblings have no political affiliations or associations of any kind”.
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“Çelebi remains fully committed to India and to contributing meaningfully to the country’s progress as a global aviation hub. We are confident that facts, transparency, and common sense will prevail over misinformation,” the company said, adding that all its facilities are governed and regularly audited by India’s aviation and security authorities and that it remains in full compliance with
Indian aviation, national security, and tax regulations.
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