On 26 May 2025, the Bombay High Court issued an interim order directing Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) to temporarily halt all actions related to the awarding of new contracts for ground and bridge handling services at Mumbai’s international airport. The decision brought a temporary reprieve for Turkish aviation ground handler Celebi, which is currently embroiled in a legal and diplomatic controversy.
Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan clarified that no final steps should be taken on the tender process until Celebi’s petitions are reviewed after the court’s summer recess in June.
The case arises in the wake of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoking Celebi’s security clearance earlier in May, citing national security concerns. This move has led to the abrupt termination of the company’s contracts at multiple airports across India.
The clearance revocation appears to follow heightened diplomatic tensions, particularly after Turkey expressed support for Pakistan following India’s Operation Sindoor—an anti-terrorism military response.
In Mumbai, Celebi Nas Airport Services India, which manages key ground and bridge handling operations and holds a 59% stake in its joint venture, has challenged both the BCAS directive and MIAL’s subsequent termination of agreements. The company has filed three separate petitions, arguing that the government’s actions are arbitrary, disproportionate, and legally unfounded.
Celebi has requested the court to nullify the BCAS order, reinstate its terminated agreements—including the Bridge Mounted Equipment Service Agreement, Ground Handling Services contract, and the Concession Agreement—and stop MIAL from proceeding with a new tender issued on 17 May.
Similar legal action is underway in Delhi, where Celebi’s sister companies—Celebi Airport Services India and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India—have turned to the Delhi High Court after losing their operational contracts at the capital’s airport.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times)
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