NEW DELHI: An Indian court rejected on Monday a plea by Turkiye-based Celebi against a government order revoking the security clearance of the firm to provide aviation ground services in the South Asian nation, three lawyer sources said.

Turkiye came out in support of Pakistan during its military conflict with India in May, angering many Indians and prompting New Delhi to cancel Celebi’s clearance in the “interest of national security”.

Celebi Airport Services India, in a May 16 filing, asked the Delhi High Court to set aside that decision, arguing it would impact 3,791 jobs and investor confidence, and was issued without any warning to the company.

The Delhi High Court rejected the company’s plea on Monday to overturn the revoking of security clearance, three lawyers involved in the case said. More details of the court proceedings are expected to be published online. India argued that courts have previously held that in some cases national security concerns can outweigh the requirement of fairness.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said in May that airport ground operators have detailed access to the physical infrastructure as well as passenger details, including VIP movements.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2025