Chennai Airport Contractor Must Be Appointed via Tender: HC
AVIATION & AIRPORTS

Chennai Airport Contractor Must Be Appointed via Tender: HC

The Madras High Court has directed that any new ground handling contractor appointed at Chennai International Airport must be selected through a transparent public tender process. The ruling comes amid legal proceedings related to the Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) cancellation of its agreement with Celebi Ground Services Chennai Pvt. Ltd.

The court specified that the tender must explicitly state that the final appointment of a contractor will be subject to the outcome of cases pending before both the Madras and Delhi High Courts. These proceedings concern the revocation of Celebi’s security clearance, which led to the termination of its April 2023 concession agreement by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.

The bench, led by Justice Abdul Quddhose, acknowledged AAI’s argument that appointing a third-party ground handler was essential to ensure uninterrupted airport operations and to safeguard public interest.

While adjourning the matter to 7 July to allow AAI to file its counter affidavit, the court recorded the authority’s undertaking that it would not use any equipment or software belonging to Celebi. Additionally, Celebi was granted permission to take inventory of its assets, subject to prior approval from AAI, with the court directing that AAI should raise no objections to this process.

The ruling seeks to strike a balance between the operational needs of the airport and Celebi’s rights, until the legal questions surrounding its security clearance are resolved.


The Madras High Court has directed that any new ground handling contractor appointed at Chennai International Airport must be selected through a transparent public tender process. The ruling comes amid legal proceedings related to the Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) cancellation of its agreement with Celebi Ground Services Chennai Pvt. Ltd.The court specified that the tender must explicitly state that the final appointment of a contractor will be subject to the outcome of cases pending before both the Madras and Delhi High Courts. These proceedings concern the revocation of Celebi’s security clearance, which led to the termination of its April 2023 concession agreement by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.The bench, led by Justice Abdul Quddhose, acknowledged AAI’s argument that appointing a third-party ground handler was essential to ensure uninterrupted airport operations and to safeguard public interest.While adjourning the matter to 7 July to allow AAI to file its counter affidavit, the court recorded the authority’s undertaking that it would not use any equipment or software belonging to Celebi. Additionally, Celebi was granted permission to take inventory of its assets, subject to prior approval from AAI, with the court directing that AAI should raise no objections to this process.The ruling seeks to strike a balance between the operational needs of the airport and Celebi’s rights, until the legal questions surrounding its security clearance are resolved.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Products

Koemmerling opens Navi Mumbai experience centre

Koemmerling, a brand of the profine Group, has expanded its presence in the Mumbai metropolitan region with the opening of a new experience centre in Navi Mumbai and launched its Allure S46 minimal sliding door system for the Indian market.Located in CBD Belapur, the facility was inaugurated by Peter Mrosik, Owner and CEO, profine Group, along with Farid Khan, Chairman and Managing Director, profine India, and Kamal Bajaj, CEO, profine India.The company said the new centre will showcase its portfolio of uPVC and aluminium window and door systems to architects, developers and homeowners.The ina..

Next Story
Products

India's waterproofing market nears Rs 150 bn milestone

India's waterproofing industry is approaching a market size of Rs 150 billion and is expected to surpass the $2 billion milestone, according to speakers at the 2nd India International Waterproofers Conference & Expo 2026 organised by the Waterproofers Association of India (WAI) in New Delhi.The two-day event brought together more than 20 speakers, 55 international delegates and 53 exhibition booths, with discussions focusing on climate-resilient construction, advanced waterproofing technologies and international collaboration.Inaugurating the event, Durga Shanker Mishra, former Secretary, ..

Next Story
Real Estate

Dilip Buildcon Q1 FY27 Revenue at Rs 23.78 billion

Dilip Buildcon Limited reported consolidated revenue from operations of Rs 2,378 crore in Q1 FY27, along with EBITDA of Rs 429 crore and profit after tax of Rs 128 crore.Consolidated EBITDA margin stood at 18.1%, improving from 17.1% in Q4 FY26. On a standalone basis, revenue from operations was Rs 1,930 crore, EBITDA stood at Rs 199 crore and PAT was Rs 39 crore, with an EBITDA margin of 10.3%.The company’s order book stood at Rs 27,691 crore as of 30 June 2026, compared with Rs 28,830 crore as of 31 March 2026. Roads and highways accounted for 17.1% of the order book, irrigation and water ..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement