Bombay HC Defers Celebi’s Plea In Security Clearance Row, Awaits Delhi HC verdict
The plea before the High Court has sought suspension of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security’s (BCAS) revocation of its security clearance;
The Bombay High Court on Friday deferred to July 10 the hearing in a writ petition filed by Celebi NAS, the Indian arm of the Turkish firm, challenging the termination of its ground-handling services by Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL)
A division bench comprising Justices Burgess Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla was told today that seven airports, including those in Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai, have terminated the services of Celebi.
Further, the bench also observed that Celebi has filed similar petitions before the Delhi High Court, as well as the Madras High Court, against the revocation of its security clearance.
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the Delhi High Court had reserved its verdict in the plea filed by Celebi, and urged the court to adjourn the matter until the judgment is delivered.
Noting that Senior Advocate Chetan Kapadia, appearing for the Turkish-based Celebi, did not seriously oppose the request, the court acknowledged that the Delhi High Court's decision would have a bearing on the present matter and accordingly deferred the hearing to July 10.
The dispute arose after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked the security clearance of Çelebi Airport Services India Pvt. Ltd. on May 15, 2025, citing national security concerns.
In the last hearing, the Bombay High Court had granted interim relief by staying Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) from concluding the bidding process to replace the company for ground and bridge handling services.
A vacation bench led by Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan had granted the interim relief to the firm, adding that the order will remain in force until the matter is heard by the regular bench after court vacations.
Turkey-based airport ground handling company Celebi’s Indian arm, Celebi Nas Airport Services India, filed three separate petitions in the Bombay High Court challenging the revocation of its security clearance and the subsequent termination of its contracts with Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).
The petitions question the legality and fairness of the Centre’s decision to revoke the security clearance issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Celebi Nas contends that the decision was made abruptly, without prior notice or an opportunity for hearing, thus violating principles of natural justice.
In addition to seeking to set aside the security clearance revocation, Celebi Nas has also moved arbitration proceedings against MIAL, disputing the termination of its contracts relating to ground handling services at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The company claims that the terminations were unilateral and have severely impacted its business operations.
Parallelly, the matter is sub judice before the Delhi High Court, where Celebi Nas has argued that it is a private enterprise operating in India for over 17 years, employing thousands of Indian nationals and not controlled by the Turkish government. The company denies any security concerns raised against it.
On the other side, the Indian government, through its legal representatives, has maintained that the revocation of security clearance was necessitated by national security considerations. The government emphasised that it is empowered to act decisively in such matters and that prior notice or hearings are not mandatory where national interest is at stake.