Celebi Has Access To Sensitive VIP, Flight And Cargo Data: Centre to Delhi HC

Last Updated:May 22, 2025, 18:52 IST

The court was hearing a plea filed by Celebi challenging the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security’s (BCAS) decision to revoke its security clearance

A view of Delhi High Court building in New Delhi. (PTI file photo)

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the central government, on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that Turkish aviation firm Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd holds access to sensitive data and facilities that could pose serious national security risks, including information related to VIP movement and direct access to aircraft and cargo terminals.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Celebi challenging the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security’s (BCAS) decision to revoke its security clearance. The revocation, issued last week, came amid heightened diplomatic tensions between India and Turkey, following Turkey’s public support for Pakistan.

Justice Sachin Datta was presiding over the matter and has scheduled the hearing to continue at 2:30 PM on Friday, Live Law reported.

Presenting the Centre’s case, Mehta highlighted the nature of Celebi’s operations and the potential security concerns. “This is the job by the petitioner, ground handling and second is cargo. He has direct access to the aircraft, even through its employees.” he said.

Mehta warned: “Considering the subject matter which is the subject of regulation, this power has to be given. Someone can blast the entire airport or aircraft.”

Mehta further stated that Celebi, which provides ground handling and cargo terminal services at various Indian airports, has access to computer systems containing detailed data on domestic and international flights, including schedules and VIP movement.

“The petitioner has direct access to the aircraft. This is computer data which also includes VIP movement and flight movement. They know full access of details of international and domestic flights. More drastic is access to cargo,” he said.

He clarified that while most domestic airlines have their own staff, several carriers—especially international ones—outsource their ground handling and cargo operations to firms like Celebi.

Addressing concerns about the absence of a hearing before revocation, Mehta said that in matters of national security, procedural delays could defeat the purpose of preventive action.

“The country sometimes face a situation where they are so unprecedented that neither an opportunity of hearing is possible because delay itself might defeat object of the act nor it is possible to give reasons for the action because that again defeats the purpose of the action. That is when plenary power comes in,” he said.

“In national security case, either we do something or we don’t do something. There is nothing in between,” Mehta stated.

The central government had last week revoked Celebi’s security clearance citing national security interests, impacting its operations at multiple Indian airports. Celebi reportedly handles over 70 per cent of the ground operations at Mumbai airport alone.

First Published:

News india Celebi Has Access To Sensitive VIP, Flight And Cargo Data: Centre to Delhi HC



_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}