The Turkish firm that handles services at nine major airports in India lost its security clearance following Turkey’s support to Pakistan over Operation Sindoor.
Celebi Ground Handling India Private Limited, a Turkey-based company had its security clearance revoked with immediate effect following an order from the Civil Aviation Ministry.
The order by BCAS on Thursday, said, “The security clearance in respect of Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd under the category Ground Handling Agency was approved by DG, BCAS vide letter no 15/99/2022-Delhi-BCAS/E-219110 dated 21.11.2022.“
In its order, the ministry also said that the service is being revoked “in the interest of national security.”
The company handles baggage clearance in nine airports, including Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Turkey shares close links with Pakistan through trade banking and tourism. The Pakistani military is also dependent on Turkey.
Following Operation Sindoor, Turkey was found to have offered more than just verbal support. A large number of drones used against India were identified as Turkey-made - the Asisguard SONGAR and the Bayraktar TB2, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle.
Ahead of Operation Sindoor, a Turkish warship had docked in Karachi, followed shortly by the landing of a Turkish Air Force C-130 in the city.
After Turkey offered support for Pakistan, the nation has been facing a massive backlash, including crack down on trade and tourism.
Following the incident, Indian tourists are canceling trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan in large numbers to both Turkey and Azerbaijan.
As per data provided by leading travel portal MakeMyTrip (MMT), bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkey have come down by 60%, while cancellations have increased by 250% in the past one week.
On Wednesday, Jawaharlal Nehru University had cancelled tie-ups with Turkey’s educational institution.
Many travel websites are cancelling or not accepting Turkey itineraries. This is expected to hit the nation that earns 12 per cent of its revenue through tourism.
There is a major campaign calling for Indigo to terminate its codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines.
The Vice President of Corporate Communications released a statement justifying the partnership stating, “This arrangement not only enhances the connectivity of Indian hubs like Delhi and Mumbai but the additional revenue has also led to increased tax contributions to the Indian exchequer, supporting economic growth.”
Reacting to the development, Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Thursday night said that arrangements have been made at all affected airports to ensure seamless handling of passengers and cargo.
“Nothing is above the security of our nation and our fellow citizens. National interest and public safety are paramount and non-negotiable,” he said in a statement.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation is fully committed to ensuring that passenger convenience, cargo operations and service continuity remains unaffected, he added, stating he was personally monitoring the situation.
Employees working with M/s Celebi would be retained, he added.
(With inputs from S Lalitha)
