Çelebi to Delhi HC: Not an arm of Turkish Govt, security ban jeopardises 10,000 Indian jobs
Çelebi, a wholly-owned Indian subsidiary of Turkey’s Çelebi Aviation Holding, moved the High Court contending that the decision was arbitrary, lacked transparency, and came without any prior notice or opportunity to respond.
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Turkish ground handling and cargo operator Çelebi Airport Services India on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that the Central government’s abrupt revocation of its security clearance amounts to “putting a guillotine” on a company that has operated in India for 17 years and employs over 10,000 people, reports Bar and Bench.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Çelebi, argued before Justice Sachin Datta that the decision was taken without granting the company a hearing, as mandated by law, and was rooted in geopolitical concerns rather than operational misconduct.
“People working with us are Indians… I have more than 10,000 employees in several airports. Without blemish, I have worked to satisfaction,” Rohatgi said. “The maker of the rule is not allowed to create an exception to the rule.”
The case stems from the Centre’s May 15 decision to withdraw Çelebi’s security clearance through the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), citing national security concerns under Rule 12 of the Aircraft Security Rules, the report added. This followed diplomatic fallout from Turkey’s public support for Pakistan during a recent four-day Indo-Pak military flare-up, dubbed Operation Sindoor.
Çelebi, a wholly-owned Indian subsidiary of Turkey’s Çelebi Aviation Holding, moved the High Court contending that the decision was arbitrary, lacked transparency, and came without any prior notice or opportunity to respond.
The company insisted it has maintained a clean track record in India’s aviation ecosystem, operates under Indian management, and that such sudden punitive actions could severely undermine investor confidence and put the livelihoods of over 3,800 Indian employees at risk.
Following the revocation, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) terminated its contracts with Çelebi. In Mumbai, local operator Indothai has taken over the firm's ground handling duties.
The hearing in the matter is expected to continue today (May 22).
