Turkish interests in the growing Indian commercial aviation industry have been seriously impacted as a result of the recent fighting between India and Pakistan.
The continued activity of several Turkish aviation firms in India is being put into question after Turkey appeared to side with Pakistan at the height of the conflict.
Celebi Airport Services India, the local subsidiary of the Turkish firm of the same name, had its security clearance revoked on May 15, 2025, which means it will have to stop providing ground services at nine major Indian airports.
This decision, which was taken by the Indian government on national security grounds has since been challenged at Delhi’s High Court by Celebi Airport Services India. The airport services company claims it is being targeted arbitrarily, while publicly asserting its Indianness. The company alleges that, while linked to a Turkish company, its Indian business is majority controlled by local shareholders.
Celebi Airport Services India employs over 3,000 people and operates in Mumbai (BOM), Delhi (DEL), Kochi (COK), Kannur (CNN), Bangalore (BLR), Hyderabad (HYD), Goa (GOX), Ahmedabad (AMD) and Chennai (MAA).
Likewise, Reuters has reported that Air India has lobbied to get its competitor IndiGo to rescind its current partnership with Turkish Airlines.
India’s largest low-cost carrier has long had a broad-encompassing partnership with the Turkish flag carrier through which both airlines codeshare on a large number of flights and channel traffic into their respective networks through Turkish Airlines Istanbul (IST) hub. Istanbul is, so far, the only city in the European continent served by IndiGo and its westernmost destination.
What’s more, IndiGo also leases two Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines for its Istanbul flights from Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai (BOM). Turkish Technic, the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) arm of Turkish Airlines also services these leased aircraft.
While aviation firms are particularly impacted due to the strategic nature of the industry, these moves are part of a broader movement in India which seeks to cut economic, academic and tourism ties with Turkey in light of the latter’s stance in the conflict with Pakistan.
