Çelebi's Indian License Was Revoked. Mumbai Airport Urgently Activated Transitional Ground Support Operations.

On May 15th, the Indian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (BCAS) suddenly announced the revocation of the operating license of the Indian subsidiary of Turkish Çelebi Aviation Holdings, citing national security as the reason. The decision took effect immediately. It is reported that this license revocation might be related to the recent escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan.

To ensure the continuity of airport operations, the Mumbai Jatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSMIA) has urgently designated IndoThai as the temporary ground service provider. The service period is three months, effective immediately. IndoThai will cooperate with Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) and strictly abide by the existing service level agreement (SLA).

According to the cooperation arrangement, IndoThai will take over all ground service operations of Çelebi at the airport, including baggage handling, passenger boarding, cargo handling, aircraft pushback, and other core services. To ensure seamless service connection, MIAL will supervise Çelebi's airport employees to transfer as a whole in accordance with the existing employment terms to IndoThai, and IndoThai will lease all ground support equipment (GSE) of Çelebi. This move will ensure the stability of employee employment and the uninterrupted operation. Public information shows that IndoThai has currently conducted ground service operations at 9 airports in India and has mature service capabilities.

At the same time, MIAL plans to issue a request for proposals (RFP) in the near future to initiate the selection process for long-term ground service providers, and is expected to complete the final selection of the partner within three months.

In response to the license revocation decision, Çelebi Aviation Holdings issued a statement, stating that it has received the notification from BCAS regarding the operating licenses of some subsidiaries. The ground service and cargo warehouse operations at the affected airports have been suspended in accordance with Indian regulations; the company has always strictly adhered to the laws and safety regulations of the host country, holds valid operating licenses, and has never received warnings or penalties related to national security before. Currently, it is closely monitoring the development of the situation and fully cooperating with the work of the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry (MoCA), BCAS, and other relevant departments.