India Grounds Çelebi: Turkish Ground Handler Ousted Amid Security Concerns

Turkish ground handling firm Çelebi has been ousted from major Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad. The reason being national security concerns, and more specifically, Turkey’s recent political alignment in ongoing regional tensions.

This affects thousands of airport staff, operational continuity at major hubs, and potentially throws a wrench into diplomatic aviation ties. Here’s a more in depth explanation.

On May 15, 2025, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked the security clearance of Çelebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd, citing national security risks. That’s not a term governments throw around lightly, so what’s behind it?

While no official details have been released, sources suggest this move was tied to Turkey’s vocal support for Pakistan during “Operation Sindoor”, an Indian military operation that drew widespread geopolitical attention. Turkey’s alignment with Pakistan, especially in a moment of heightened military and diplomatic tension, didn’t sit well with New Delhi.

As a result, Çelebi was effectively banned from operating at nine major Indian airports. That’s a bold and rare move, especially considering Çelebi had been a fixture at Indian airports for nearly 15 years.

I get that governments need to act on security concerns, but it’s unclear what exactly Çelebi did wrong, which leaves a lot of confusion. If the issue is just about Turkey’s political stance, is that really enough to cancel their contract? And should airport business decisions depend so heavily on international politics?

Following the government's directive, major airports swiftly moved to terminate their contracts with Çelebi:

• Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA): Ended its association with Çelebi for ground handling and cargo operations.
  


• Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA)
  and Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA): Both operated by Adani Airport Holdings, terminated their agreements with Çelebi
  and appointed interim ground handling providers to ensure uninterrupted services.

Other airports, including those in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Goa, Cochin, and Kannur, also discontinued Çelebi's services.

It’s worth noting that Çelebi wasn’t a small player, it handled over 30% of cargo at Delhi Airport, that’s a huge operational load to transfer smoothly and suddenly.

One of the big concerns anytime a contractor gets the axe is what happens to the workforce, and here, at least, there’s some reassurance.

Airports have said existing Çelebi employees will be transitioned to new ground handling firms with their employment terms intact. In Mumbai, for instance, Indo Thai Airport Services has stepped in as a temporary handler, absorbing existing staff and keeping operations stable.

Honestly, that’s a relief. I’ve seen far too many cases in aviation where front-line employees get caught in the crossfire of corporate or political decisions. So kudos to whoever ensured that continuity here.

Unsurprisingly, Çelebi isn’t taking this lightly. They’ve filed a legal challenge in Delhi High Court, arguing the government’s decision is vague and politically motivated, and that it lacks specific justification and threatens thousands of jobs.

In their defense, Çelebi India is operated as an Indian enterprise, led by Indian professionals and has no political affiliations or links to foreign governments, Turkish ownership aside.

Whether the courts agree remains to be seen. This legal angle might not restore their operations immediately, but it could raise valid points about how national security claims should be evaluated, especially when applied to private firms operating under Indian law.

Within 48 hours of the announcement, Çelebi’s market cap reportedly dropped by ₹2,500 crore (USD ~$293 million), following a 20% drop in its stock value.

That’s a staggering hit, especially for a company whose international footprint includes operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This shows how dependent Çelebi was on its Indian operations, which may now serve as a cautionary tale for other foreign firms working in geopolitically sensitive regions.

India’s decision to expel Çelebi from its airports is dramatic, politically charged, and raises a ton of questions about where geopolitics meets airport operations.

This whole situation feels like aviation being used as a proxy for broader foreign policy strategy. And while national security matters (no debate there), I’d love to see more clarity from the government on what exactly triggered this, because vague “security concerns” don’t inspire a lot of trust when jobs and billion-dollar contracts are at stake.

At the end of the day, I just hope ground staff don’t get the short end of the stick, and that India’s airports can maintain the same level of service passengers have come to expect.