Adani Airport ends partnership with Celebi for Mumbai, Ahmedabad airports

Adani Airport Holdings announced it has ended its partnership with Turkish firm Çelebi for ground handling services at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA).

The move follows a formal notification issued by India’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security under the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, which revoked Çelebi Airport Services India Ltd’s security clearance on 15 May. Çelebi, a subsidiary of Turkish conglomerate Çelebi Aviation Holding, was ordered to immediately transfer all ground handling facilities to Adani.

“Following the Government of India’s decision to revoke Celebi’s security clearance, we have terminated the ground handling concession agreements with Celebi at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport,” said spokespersons for the Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports. Accordingly, Celebi has been directed to immediately hand over to us all ground handling facilities to ensure uninterrupted operations.

All current Çelebi employees at the two airports will be absorbed by new agencies. All existing employees of Celebi at CSMIA and SVPIA will be transferred to the new ground handling agencies on their existing terms and conditions of employment. They emphasised that operations will remain stable.

The decision to revoke Çelebi’s security clearance comes amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Turkey, which has expressed support for Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent launch of ‘Operation Sindoor’, has faced growing criticism within India.

Çelebi has a significant footprint in India, offering ground handling services at nine airports, including Delhi, Cochin, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Goa. The firm also operates cargo services through Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India.

The recent move echoes a similar step by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which formally ended its ties with Çelebi for ground handling and cargo operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport. National security was again cited as the reason.

Responding to the termination and the allegations swirling on social media, Çelebi Aviation India issued a strong rebuttal.

The twin terminations—of Çelebi and DragonPass—appear to reflect a broader trend. As India’s geopolitical climate grows more complex, especially with tensions involving China and Pakistan, scrutiny of foreign firms operating in critical infrastructure sectors has increased sharply.