Turkish Airlines' Nairobi handling to be run by Çelebi Aviation

Çelebi Aviation has signed an agreement with Turkish Airlines to provide ground handling services for the airline's Istanbul‑Nairobi‑Istanbul route at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. The partnership covers passenger services, ramp operations, aircraft turnaround coordination and baggage handling for seven weekly flights, roughly 365 flights per year, and is expected to serve between 75,000 and 80,000 passengers annually.

The deal expands Çelebi Aviation’s presence in East Africa; the company already provides services to carriers such as British Airways, Emirates SkyCargo, Network Airlines and Astral Aviation at JKIA. The Kenya Airports Authority is modernising the airport, aiming to raise its annual passenger capacity from 7.5 million to 22 million. Çelebi holds ISO 9001:2015, ISAGO and GDP certifications and has introduced electric ground support equipment to reduce environmental impact. Atilla Korkmazoğlu, President of Ground Handling & Cargo, EMEA at Çelebi Aviation, said the collaboration demonstrates the firm’s operational maturity and the trust built with leading international airlines.