Celebi moves HC after govt revokes clearance
Turkish-founded ground-handling firm Celebi Airport Services India on Friday challenged the revocation of it security clearance in the Delhi High court even as aviation officials said airport operations nationwide continued without disruption as alternative arrangements were implemented.
In its plea, expected to be heard on Monday, the company said the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security's (BCAS's) decision on Thursday to revoke its clearance by merely citing national security, without specific justification, was 'vague' and 'unsustainable in law.'
The petition claimed BCAS's order failed to disclose how Celebi posed a threat to national security and that it would impact 3,791 jobs and investor confidence. 'Mere rhetoric of national security without elaborating upon in what manner is an entity a threat to national security is unsustainable in law,' the company said in the filing, Reuters reported.
Also Read | Why Turkish firm Celebi aviation's licence was revoked by India
The revocation of the security clearance follows mounting tensions between India and Turkey over the latter's diplomatic and military ties with Pakistan. The development triggered a scramble at the nine airports in which the firm operated, including Delhi and Mumbai, to ensure services were not disrupted.
'There have been no disruption in any of the nine airports where Celebi companies were involved in ground handling,' a person aware of the matter said, asking not to be named.
In Delhi, a second official aware of the matter, said that Celebi's personnel were managed by two other ground handling companies as part of an ad-hoc arrangement facilitated. 'Airport entry passes of Celebi personnel were swiftly updated, allowing for the smooth continuation of flight operations,' said this person.
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An aviation ministry official said that around 3,000 Çelebi staff at Delhi airport alone had been temporarily reassigned to the supervision ofother ground-handling agencies.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which manages India's busiest airport, said it is coordinating with AISATS and the Bird Group — the two remaining ground handling companies at the airport -- to maintain operations.
The arrangement is a temporary measure since the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regulation mandates the presence of three independent ground handlers at airports handling over 10 million passengers annually, said a third official.
' DIAL is in the process of onboarding a third handler,' an airport official confirmed. 'The appointment of a third ground handler will follow due process. Until then, existing handlers will operate in a nonprofit, support-only capacity to ensure service continuity and regulatory compliance,' the ministry official added.
In Mumbai the airport operators roped in a new company — Indo Thai Airport Services, a certified ground handler currently operating at nine airports across India, the ministry official added.
Confirming the move, a Mumbai airport spokesperson said: 'Within the next three days, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) will initiate the Request for Proposal (RFP) process to onboard a long-term ground-handling partner, to be finalised within three months.'
Bangalore airport too confirmed in a Friday morning statement that Celebi personnel were being managed by existing service providers as a temporary measure.
It was not clear what employment terms existed for these people. A ministry official did not respond to requests for a comment on this.
Celebi Aviation Holding, the parent group, did not respond to requests for a comment.
Several foreign airlines approached alternative ground handlers on Friday. A third official familiar with the development said that Cathay Pacific, for instance, tied up with Air India SATS to manage their ground services.
Celebi provided ground-based services at nine airports across India – Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Kannur, Chennai, and the MOPA airport in Goa. Its services include passenger handling, baggage processing, aircraft loading, cargo management, and ramp services. The company also runs one of Delhi airport's two cargo terminals as a joint venture with the airport operator.
In a statement on Thursday, the company denied 'misleading and factually incorrect allegations' about its ownership structure, claiming it is majority-owned (65%) by international institutional investors from Canada, the US, the UK, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Western Europe.
The Shiv Sena, a coalition partner in the Maharashtra government, had earlier demanded that Mumbai airport cut ties with Celebi amid the diplomatic tensions between India and Turkey.
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