After Delhi, Celebi Takes Legal Battle To Bombay HC Over India’s Security Clearance Ban And Airport Contract Terminations
Celebi has filed lawsuits in the Bombay High Court challenging the cancellation of its security clearance and Mumbai airport contracts. This follows similar legal action taken in Delhi after India cited “national security” concerns.
Mumbai: Today, On May 22, In a major legal development, Turkey-based airport ground handling company Çelebi has approached the Bombay High Court after the Indian government cancelled its security clearance, which also led to the termination of its contracts with Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL).
This move has created a big impact on Celebi’s operations in India, especially at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, where it had been operating through its Indian arm.
On May 21, 2025, Celebi’s Indian subsidiary Celebi Nas Airport Services India Private Limited (in which Celebi holds a 59% stake) filed three legal cases in the Bombay High Court.
These legal actions aim to suspend and cancel the government’s decision to revoke its security clearance and to stop the Mumbai airport operator from finalizing new contracts with other ground handling service providers.
According to a regulatory filing by Celebi in Turkey,
“Now, regarding our Mumbai operations; our subsidiary Celebi Nas Airport Services India Private Limited (‘Celebi Nas’) in which our Company holds 59% of the capital filed three different lawsuits before the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Mumbai on 21.05.2025.”
Out of the three legal cases, one is directly against the Union of India, BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security), DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), Airports Authority of India (AAI), and the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s regional office, demanding that the revocation of security clearance be suspended and cancelled.
The other two cases are arbitration petitions filed against Adani Group-owned MIAL.
These applications seek to reverse the termination of Celebi Nas’s ground handling contracts and to ask the court for urgent interim relief so that MIAL does not proceed with tenders for appointing a new ground handling agency.
These legal actions in Mumbai follow similar moves by two other Celebi subsidiaries—Celebi Airport Services India and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India—which have already approached the Delhi High Court for similar issues after the security clearance revocation affected their contracts at the Delhi airport. The Delhi High Court is currently hearing those matters.
The root cause of this situation lies in the Indian government’s action last Thursday, when the BCAS cancelled the security clearance of Celebi’s Indian arm—Celebi Airport Services India—on the grounds of “national security”.
The decision came amid growing tension over Turkey’s support for Pakistan during the India-Pakistan conflict.
The cancellation applies not only to Celebi Airport Services India but also to its other associated companies operating in India.
As a result, several Indian airports immediately started terminating their contracts with Celebi group entities.
Reacting to this development, Celebi’s Indian unit stated,
“It is truly an Indian enterprise led and managed by Indian professionals, and is not a Turkish organisation by any standard.”
Following this fallout, Indian airports and airlines that earlier worked with Celebi are now turning to other major ground handling companies such as AI Airport Services, Air India SATS Airport Services, and the Bird Group.
Ground handling is a vital part of airport operations—it includes passenger check-in, baggage handling, cargo management, aircraft maintenance, ramp services, and catering.
India is an important market for Celebi.
As per company filings, out of its $585 million revenue in 2024, its five Indian companies—Celebi Airport Services India, Celebi GH India, Celebi Nas Airport Services India, Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India, and Celebi GS Chennai—contributed 33.8% of total revenue, which is over $195 million.
Celebi had operations at nine Indian airports: Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Kannur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Goa (Mopa).
These airports were handled by different Celebi subsidiaries, with the largest being Celebi Airport Services India, which operated at six of these airports.
In its defense, Celebi Airport Services India made a public statement to clarify its position, saying:
“It is a globally operated aviation services company with no political links or affiliation, and is majority-owned by international institutional investors.”
The company also strongly denied rumors circulating on social media about its ownership.
It addressed the viral claim that Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, the daughter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, owns a part of Çelebi. The company stated:
“Factually incorrect” and “categorically rejected this claim.”
Now, with Celebi taking legal action in both Delhi and Mumbai, the aviation industry in India watches closely as the outcome could set a precedent for foreign-linked Indian companies affected by geopolitical tensions and national security concerns.
