CIAL discontinues services of Turkish company Celebi

Kochi: The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) on Friday said it has discontinued the ground handling services of Çelebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd from Thursday in compliance with the recent directives issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) with regard to national security.

The decision was taken soon after aviation watchdog BCAS revoked the security clearance for Turkish company Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd in the "interest of national security". The BCAS move came days after Turkey condemned India's strikes on terror camps in Pakistan.

“Despite the transition, all operations at CIAL remained fully functional and disruption-free. Our teams, in coordination with alternative authorised service providers, ensured uninterrupted performance across all areas. Looking ahead, CIAŁ is making long-term arrangements to keep airport operations smooth and efficient. All necessary steps are being taken to uphold operational continuity while meeting national regulatory requirements,” CIAL said in a statement.

Cochin is among the nine airports in the country where Celebi has been operating. The eight other airports are Mumbai, Delhi, Kannur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa (GOX), Ahmedabad and Chennai. The security clearance to the company, part of Turkiye's Celebi, was given in November 2022.

Celebi handles around 58,000 flights and 5,40,00 tonnes of cargo annually in India, as per its website. It provides passenger, load control and flight operation, ramp, general aviation, cargo and postal, warehouse and bridge operation services.

The decision of BCAS comes against the backdrop of Turkey backing Pakistan and its condemnation of India's recent strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under 'Operation Sindoor'. Pakistan had also used Turkish drones on a large scale in the military conflict with India.

In a statement, Celebi Aviation India said it remains in full compliance with Indian aviation, national security, and tax regulations and operates with complete transparency.

"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 in a statement.