India revokes Celebi security clearance over Turkiye support for Pakistan

NEW DELHI: India revoked the security clearance of Celebi Airport Services India, a unit of Turkiye Celebi, with immediate effect, citing national security concerns, the country’s civil aviation ministry said in an order on Thursday.

New Delhi’s decision came a day after travel booking firms said Indians were cancelling holidays in popular resorts in Turkiye and Azerbaijan following the countries’ support for Pakistan during the recent conflict with India.

Celebi Aviation Holding, the parent of Celebi Airport Services, whose website says it operates ground handling services at nine airports in India including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, was not immediately available for a comment.

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The operator of Delhi International Airport said it was working with existing airport ground handling service providers AISATS and Brid Group after it cut ties with Celebi.

Murlidhar Mohol, India’s deputy civil aviation minister, said the government had received requests from across India to ban Celebi Airport Services without providing details.

“Recognising the seriousness of the issue and the call to protect national interests, we have taken cognizance of these requests and Ministry of Civil Aviation has revoked security clearance of the said company,” Mohol said on X.

The Shiv Sena party, a key ally in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, had held protests against Celebi in Mumbai this week, demanding the city’s airport sever ties with the Turkiye company.

Deadly fighting broke out between India and Pakistan last week after New Delhi struck what it said were “terrorist camps” in Pakistan in retaliation for an attack in Illegally Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir last month that killed 26 men, which it said was backed by Islamabad.

Pakistan denied involvement, but both countries sent missiles and drones targeting each other’s military installations in the days that followed. The nuclear-armed neighbours reached a truce on Saturday that has largely held.

Turkiye and Azerbaijan, popular budget holiday destinations for Indians, issued statements backing Islamabad after India’s strikes.

A top Indian university, the Jawaharlal Nehru University in the capital New Delhi, said it has suspended an academic agreement with a Turkiye university.

“Due to national security considerations, the MoU (memorandum of understanding) between JNU and Inonu University, Turkiye stands suspended until further notice,” JNU said on X.

Separately, Adani Airport Holdings said it was terminating its arrangement with Chinese lounge access provider DragonPass, announced last week, without specifying the reason.