Turkish ground handling and cargo operator Çelebi Airport Services India Private Limited has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Government of India’s decision to revoke its security clearance.
The matter was mentioned for urgent hearing on Friday and the High Court is likely to hear it on May 19.
On May 15, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, withdrew Çelebi’s clearance, on the grounds of national security.
The decision followed the diplomatic tensions between India and Turkey, after the latter chose to support Pakistan during the recent hostilities involving Operation Sindoor.
As per a leading global news agency, Celebi sought directions to set aside the Centre’s decision on the grounds that it would impact 3,791 jobs and investor confidence.
Terming the government order as ‘mere rhetoric’ and ‘unsustainable in law,’ the petitioner contended that no warning was issued to the company.
It further said the Central government’s he order failed to disclose any specific or substantive reason except for a vague and general reference to ‘national security,’ providing no reason or justification to the same.
Celebi provided ground-based services to nine major airports across the country, including Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cochin, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kannur, and the MOPA airport in Goa.
The services being provided by the company included cargo management, passenger handling, aircraft loading, ramp services, and baggage processing. The company also ran one of Delhi airport’s two cargo terminals as a joint venture with the airport operator.
The company issued a statement on Thursday, saying that misleading and factually incorrect allegations have been levelled against its ownership structure. It claimed that majority of its stakes, totalling around 65 percent, were owned by international institutional investors from the US, Canada, Singapore, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, and Western Europe.