Newsletters
Turkish aviation services firm Celebi Aviation is pulling out of its ground handling and cargo operations at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam after the expiry of the concession agreement.
The decision, disclosed late Thursday, follows a review of its Tanzania operations, after which the company decided not to continue under the current structure. With the concession period over, the group decided to step back rather than renew or restructure operations in the same format.
Celebi indicated that the exit will not materially affect its overall financial position. As of year-end 2025, the Tanzania unit accounted for around 0.2% of total revenue and roughly 0.5% of total assets, while its impact on net profit stood at negative 2.1%, reflecting a limited footprint in consolidated results.
However, the company’s shares listed on Türkiye's stock exchange, Borsa Istanbul, dropped by around 9% in Friday’s session.
Anyway, while stepping away from Tanzania, the company continues to position Africa as a growth region.
"Our company maintains a strong operational presence across Europe, Asia and Africa. In line with its growth strategy in Africa, and following its recent entry into the Kenyan market, the company continues to monitor and assess other opportunities across the continent that support its long-term value creation strategy," it said.
According to its latest financial report as of September 2025, Celebi handled 417 flights at Julius Nyerere International Airport, marking a 130.4% year-over-year increase.
Based in Istanbul, Celebi Airport operates across Türkiye, Hungary, Germany, Indonesia and India, and most recently expanded into Kenya through the $40 million acquisition of Nairobi-based Transglobal Cargo Centre Ltd. (TCC), an air cargo and ground-handling operator at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
In mid-2025, the company’s operations across nine airports in India were hit after an anti-Turkish campaign during the border tensions with Pakistan expanded to target firms in the country, prompting authorities to revoke the security clearance previously granted by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The company’s appeals were rejected, resulting in a halt to its operations in the country.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
