Name of the Case: Celebi Airport Services India Pvt. Ltd. & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.
Citation: W.P.(C) No. 6758/2025 & W.P.(C) No. 6759/2025
Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sachin Datta.
Date: 30th June, 2025
Striking a balance between the enforcement of administrative action and national security, the Hon’ble Delhi High Court upheld the decision by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), aimed to revoke any and all security clearance granted to Celebi Airport Services India Pvt. Ltd. and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt. Ltd., engaged in ground and cargo handling, respectively, at multiple airports across India. The petitioner challenged the sudden withdrawal of their security clearance as being violative of Rule 12 of the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023, alleging the violation of natural justice in the absence of the opportunity of being heard.
The Hon’ble Court found no infirmity in BCAS’s reliance on national security as a ground to revoke clearances without disclosing detailed reasons or conducting a hearing before passing the said decision. It emphasized that the petitioners, being foreign-owned entities with unrestricted access to sensitive airport zones, could not claim Fundamental Rights under Article 19. Thus, the petitions were dismissed, reaffirming the primacy of national security over procedural safeguards1.
