Indian Airports: With Turkey supporting Pakistan in its military conflict with India, there is serious concern over the security responsibilities of the Turkish company Celeb Aviation at Indian airports. The company provides key services like ground handling and cargo management at eight major airports in the country, including Delhi and Mumbai. Demands to boycott goods from such a country have gained momentum, saying that Turkey has betrayed us. The Center is being asked to reconsider this.
Indians are furious with Turkey for supporting Pakistan in its military clashes with India . The slogan of Boycott Turkey has gained momentum over this. Also, India has blocked the official X account of the country’s media TRT Broadcast, which is spreading false propaganda about Operation Sindoor . In this context, suspicions and concerns are being expressed as the Turkish company Y is handling security responsibilities at several Indian airports. Turkey’s Celeb Aviation is handling the highest security responsibilities at eight major airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. This company handles about 58,000 flights per year.
Celebi Aviation’s ground handling, cargo handling, and airside operations are all sensitive and safety-critical tasks, as they occur directly within the aircraft. Celebi crews work in airport security areas, directly approaching aircraft. They also handle baggage and cargo for international flights.
The military confrontation between the two countries arose after India’s attacks on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK on May 7, 2025, with ‘Operation Sindoor’. Military sources said that in this clash, Turkey not only sent military drones to Pakistan’s attack on India, but also sent special personnel to operate them, which is like siding with our enemy. In this context, the fact that Celebi Aviation is handling the highest security responsibilities in India is becoming a concern.
India helped Turkey during the 2023 earthquake through “Operation Dost”. However, now Turkey has attacked India along with Pakistan. JNU has stopped the agreement signed with a Turkish university. This is leading to the argument that the Center and security agencies should rethink Celebi’s activities. Celebi Aviation serves companies like IndiGo and Air India in India.
Celebi commenced operations at Mumbai International Airport in 2008. It was later incorporated as Celebi Airport Services India (Ground Handling) and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India (Delhi Cargo Services). It currently operates at major airports in Mumbai, Delhi, Cochin, Kannur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Goa, Ahmedabad and Chennai: Celebi has a staff of 7,800, handling 5,40,000 tonnes of cargo per annum.
Celeb’s total business is 75% foreign, with the remaining 25% being with Indian airlines. Lion Air is trying to bring international companies like Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, and American Airlines to India. Celeb was founded in Turkey in 1958. It currently serves 70 airports in 6 countries.
Although Celebi’s staff are provided with Airport Entry Passes (AEPs) after background checks by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), considering that the company is Turkish, this could become a major security issue. Analysts believe that the central government and the Home Ministry are likely to review Celebi’s role in the future.
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