Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has ended its ground handling concession agreement with Çelebi Airport Services India Ltd, a subsidiary of Turkey-based Çelebi Aviation Holding.
The decision comes after the Indian government revoked Çelebi’s security clearance due to Turkey's political support for Pakistan amid recent tensions and terror-related incidents, including Operation Sindoor.
BIAL has transitioned operations to other existing ground handling providers to ensure smooth continuity and stability at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
🌍 Nationwide Termination: Other Airports Follow Suit
Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad airports had already terminated their contracts with Çelebi before Bengaluru’s announcement.
Çelebi has been ordered to immediately hand over facilities to ensure uninterrupted operations.
The Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu is actively overseeing the transitions and has deployed special teams to manage any issues.
🗣️ Çelebi Responds
Çelebi Aviation India refuted allegations of political links, stating:
"We are not a Turkish organisation by any standard... We operate with full transparency and have no political affiliations."
👷 Impact on Employees
The government is working to retain existing Çelebi employees by integrating them into new service providers.
🗳️ Background: Why This Happened
This move is part of a larger boycott-Turkey sentiment in India due to Ankara’s support for Pakistan post-Pahalgam attack.
Over 50% of Indian travel bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan have reportedly been cancelled.
