Turkish ground handling company Çelebi Aviation will begin providing ground handling services to Turkish Airlines at Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from Aug. 1 under a new agreement, expanding its presence in East Africa.
The company said on Tuesday it will support Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul-Nairobi-Istanbul route with passenger services, ramp operations, aircraft turnaround coordination, baggage handling and other ground services.
The operation will cover seven flights a week, or about 365 flights annually, with Çelebi Aviation expecting to handle between 75,000 and 80,000 passengers each year.
The agreement expands Çelebi Aviation’s operations in Kenya, where it already provides services to airlines including British Airways, Emirates SkyCargo, Network Airlines and Astral Aviation.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is one of East Africa’s busiest aviation hubs, serving as a gateway linking Africa with Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Kenya Airports Authority is modernising the airport, with plans to increase annual passenger capacity to 22 million from 7.5 million.
Çelebi Aviation said its Kenya operations comply with international quality and safety standards, including ISO 9001:2015, ISAGO and Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certifications, which support the handling of pharmaceutical cargo. The company also said it uses electric ground support equipment to reduce emissions from airport operations.
Commenting on the agreement, Atilla Korkmazoğlu, President of Ground Handling & Cargo, EMEA at Çelebi Aviation, said the partnership reflected the company’s growing position in Kenya.
“Our collaboration with Turkish Airlines clearly demonstrates the operational maturity of Çelebi Aviation Kenya and the trust we have built with leading international airlines. We are pleased to support Turkish Airlines’ operations in Nairobi and believe this partnership will create long-term value for both organisations.”
Korkmazoğlu said the company expected the partnership to benefit from ongoing investment at Nairobi’s main airport. “Together with the ongoing modernization of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, we believe that the aviation ecosystem in the region will continue to grow stronger.”
He said Çelebi Aviation would continue providing ground handling services using its operational infrastructure and sustainability initiatives.
“With our robust operational infrastructure, international standards and sustainable service approach, we will continue to provide high-quality and reliable ground handling services to Turkish Airlines. We see this collaboration not only as an important step for our Kenya operations, but also as a key milestone in our long-term growth strategy across Africa.”
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