Mumbai Airport signs on IndoThai for ground handling operations

Mumbai: Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Friday named IndoThai Airport Management Services as its new ground handling operator, succeeding Turkish firm Celebi Airport Services India a day after the latter's security clearance was cancelled by the government.

IndoThai, which is currently operating at nine airports across India, "has been appointed as the interim ground handling provider at CSMIA for the next three months, effective immediately," Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) said.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had on Thursday announced immediate cancellation of Celebi's security clearance, citing national security concerns.

This decision affected Celebi's operations at nine major Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Adani Airport Holdings, which operates Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports, has terminated its partnership with Celebi. "Celebi NAS has been directed to hand over to us all ground handling facilities at CSMIA," Vishnu Jha, chief airport officer at MIAL, wrote in an internal letter to partners.

PTI adds: Multiple ground handling companies, including AIASL, Bird Worldwide Flight Services and Indo Thai, are onboarding the staff of Celebi at various airports and fresh airport entry passes are being issued, industry executives said.