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India revoked the security clearance of Celebi Airport Services India, a unit of Turkey’s Celebi, with immediate effect, citing national security concerns, the country’s civil aviation ministry said in an order on Thursday. As informed by a news report in Reuters.
New Delhi’s decision came a day after travel booking firms said Indians were cancelling holidays in popular resorts in Turkey and Azerbaijan following the countries’ support for Pakistan during the recent conflict with India.
Celebi Aviation Holding, the parent of Celebi Airport Services, whose website says it operates ground handling services at nine airports in India including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, was not immediately available for a comment.
Murlidhar Mohol, India’s deputy civil aviation minister, said the government had received requests from across India to ban Celebi Airport Services without providing details.
“Recognising the seriousness of the issue and the call to protect national interests, we have taken cognizance of these requests and Ministry of Civil Aviation has revoked security clearance of the said company,” Mohol said on X.
Turkey and Azerbaijan, popular budget holiday destinations for Indians, issued statements backing Islamabad after India’s strikes.
