Turkey's Celebi Case: From India revoking clearance to IndoThai replacing it at Mumbai airport — All we know so far

Turkey's Celebi Case: The Turkish firm, Çelebi Aviation, which used to operate the airport ground operations in nine airports across India, has now been removed from ground handling and cargo operations amid the rising calls to boycott Turkish goods and tourism.

In the last few days, Indians have been calling each other to boycott Turkish goods and tourism after the nation supported Pakistan over India after the Pahalgam terror attack and the Operation Sindoor, which gave rise to the India-Pakistan conflict. 

Indothai replaces Celebi at Mumbai Airport

Mumbai's airport operator, the Mumbai International Airport (MIAL), said that it has appointed IndoThai as its new ground handling operator to replace the Turkish firm on Saturday, reported multiple news portals.

IndoThai “has been appointed as the interim ground handling provider at CSMIA for the next three months, effective immediately,” said MIAL, according to an Economic Times report. IndoThai currently operates nine airports across India.

This comes after the Union government, on 15 May 2025, revoked the security clearance of Çelebi Aviation.

“In the exercise of power conferred upon DG, BCAS, the security clearance in r/o Çelebi Airport Services India Pvt Limited is hereby revoked with immediate effect in the interest of national security,” according to the official notice. 

Celebi's HC Plea

The Delhi High Court on Monday, 19 May, will hear two pleas by the Turkish firm Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd and another firm against the decision of the aviation regulator, reported the news agency PTI.

The aviation regulator cited the reason of in the “interest of national security” for barring the company by revoking its security clearance.

Justice Sachin Datta of the Delhi High Court will hear the plea, which was filed on Friday, 16 May 2025. According to the official Civil Aviation data, the Turkish company was given permission and security clearance on 21 November 2022 to operate at Indian airports. 

‘Full Cooperation’

The Turkish firm Celebi Aviation on Saturday, 17 May 2025, said that it’s “fully cooperating” with the Indian authorities and adhering to the regulations after its ground handling and cargo warehouse operations were suspended over national security reasons.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and cooperating fully with the relevant authorities,” said the Turkish firm in an official statement cited in a Bloomberg report. “We are following the process diligently and within the legal framework, in close cooperation with the relevant local authorities. To date, all our operations have been carried out in full compliance with regulations,” said Celebi.

Delhi airport on Thursday formally ended ties with the Turkish firm for its ground handling and cargo operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on the grounds of national security. 

According to Mint's earlier report, Celebi Airport Services used to offer its services at nine Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Kannur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

Delhi airport is currently working with its other service providers, namely AISATS and the Bird Group, for all of its ground handling services after it severed its ties with Celebi.

Apart from Delhi, the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru also announced that it has terminated its ground handling concession agreement with Çelebi.

“We are coordinating the transition in collaboration with all existing aviation stakeholders and government authorities,” they said, according to Mint's earlier report.