Delhi Airport severs ties with Çelebi; Turkish firm denies security concerns, ownership allegations 

Complying with a directive from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to revoke the security clearance of Çelebi Airport Services India on “national security” grounds, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) formally ended its association with Çelebi entities responsible for ground handling and cargo operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). The development comes after the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in its order today, revoked the security clearance of Çelebi Airport Services India Private Limited in the interest of “national security”, deepening India’s ongoing strife with Turkey in the aftermath of the military confrontation with Pakistan.

Çelebi Airport Services India and Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd were overseeing ground handling and cargo terminal functions, respectively. Following the termination, GMR-operated DIAL said it is working closely with existing service providers to ensure uninterrupted operations while safeguarding employee welfare.

To ensure continuity and operational stability, DIAL is actively coordinating with the existing Ground Handling service providers — AISATS and Bird Group. In case of cargo operations, DIAL is working towards onboarding one of the pre-approved cargo handlers to ensure uninterrupted cargo operations.

In addition, DIAL has assured that all employees currently on the rolls of Çelebi entities for cargo and ground handling services at IGI Airport will be transitioned to the new employer(s) with immediate effect. These employees will continue under their existing terms and conditions of employment.

Çelebi Aviation India on Thursday refuted “misleading and factually incorrect allegations” regarding the company’s ownership and operations in India after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked the security clearance to Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd in the interest of “national security”.

“We would like to place on record the facts surrounding our ownership structure and long-standing presence in the country,” Çelebi Aviation, which provides services like passenger handling, ramp services, load control, flight operations, and aircraft cleaning, said in a statement.

“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. The remaining 15% is held by Alpha Airport Services BV, a Dutch-registered entity,” the statement said.

Çelebi Aviation, a key player in the private ground handling sector, operates at nine of India’s busiest airports. The company directly employs over 10,000 people in India and has contributed more than $220 million in long-term infrastructure investments over the past 15 years.

On the revocation of its security clearance, Çelebi said its business in India is “truly an Indian enterprise, led and managed by Indian professionals.” “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 said.

“We categorically reject another false claim being propagated around Ms. Sümeyye Erdoğan’s daughter being a part owner. 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%)., nor any individuals with the same. 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,” it said.

Çelebi said it 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,” it said.

In a separate development, a spokesperson of Adani Airport Holdings said, “Our association with DragonPass, which provided access to airport lounges, has been terminated with immediate effect. DragonPass customers will no longer have access to lounges at Adani-managed airports. This change will have no impact on the airport lounge and travel experience for other customers.”