Delhi HC reject Turkish firm Celebi's appeal against India's actions

The Delhi High Court on Monday delivered a significant setback to Celebi Aviation, a Turkey-based firm, by dismissing its plea challenging the revocation of its security clearance in India. The decision by the court effectively upholds the Centre's move to cancel the firm's license, citing national security concerns. Celebi provided critical ground handling services at nine major Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai.

The security clearance of Celebi Aviation was revoked by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the security wing of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, earlier in May. While BCAS did not publicly provide specific reasons, the decision came amid heightened tensions between India and Turkey, particularly after Turkey supported Pakistan and condemned India's counter-terrorism military strikes. Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, also affirmed that the decision was taken "in view of the call to protect national interests."

Celebi had challenged the revocation, arguing that the decision was "unsustainable," lacked proper reasoning, and was made without prior notice. The firm, which entered India's aviation industry in 2008, maintained that it had "no political affiliations" or "links to any foreign government or individuals." Despite their arguments that the revocation violated principles of natural justice and procedural fairness, the Delhi High Court sided with the government's stance, with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta emphasizing the sensitive nature of civil aviation and national security. This ruling will have significant implications for ground handling operations at the affected Indian airports and potentially for other foreign firms operating in sensitive sectors within India.