Çelebi Holding

What Çelebi Holding does

Çelebi Holding is a privately held Turkish conglomerate founded in 1954, controlled by the Çelebioğlu family, with a core franchise in aviation ground handling through its wholly owned subsidiary Çelebi Hava Servisi (ÇHS). ÇHS delivers ramp, passenger, cargo, and VIP/protocol services at more than 14 Turkish airports (including Istanbul Atatürk, Sabiha Gökçen, Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum, Izmir, Ankara) and a growing international footprint covering Budapest (since 2006), Mumbai (2009, 51% JV), Delhi (cargo and ground handling 2009-2010), Charleroi (Belgium), Vienna (Austria), and Frankfurt cargo (Germany). The cargo business operates RA3-certified terminals in Istanbul and Delhi, and the group co-built and operates the Antalya 2nd International Terminal (16M passenger capacity, 6-tier security, jet fuel hydrant system). Long-tenured airline customers include Lufthansa (since 1984), Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, SunExpress, Thomas Cook, and others, with multi-year and multi-decade contracts forming the revenue backbone.

Beyond aviation, the group operates Bandırma Port under a 36-year TCDD concession won in 2008 for $175.5M (handling dry bulk, Ro-Ro, and containers), Çelebi Marina Antalya (5 Golden Anchor award), Çe-Tur ground transport, Çelebi Güvenlik security services, and since 1996 the Little Caesars master franchise for Turkey. Revenue mechanics are largely contracted/managed-services (per-flight handling fees, port concession throughput, franchise + retail for food). Capital deployment has been substantial — approximately $100M committed to India operations in 2009-2010 — and strategic activity includes the 2010 exit from Port Akdeniz (Antalya) and the 2014-2015 strengthening of the Vienna position via acquisition. Group CEO Onno Boots was appointed in 2016 and presented a 2015-2020 strategy roadmap; the family remains in control through Chairman Can Çelebioğlu and Vice Chairman Canan Çelebioğlu Tokgöz.

Name

Çelebi Holding

Legal name

Çelebi Holding

Website

https://celebi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Çelebi Holding is a privately held Turkish conglomerate (founded 1954) operating aviation ground handling, air cargo, port concessions, marina, transport, and the Little Caesars franchise in Turkey, with international presence across India, Hungary, Belgium, Austria, and Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Airport Ground Handling Services: Çelebi Hava Servisi (ÇHS) provides ground handling services (ramp, passenger, cargo, ramp services) to airlines at airports in Turkey and internationally. Revenue is generated through multi-year service contracts with airlines, typically billed per flight movement or through retainer agreements.
2. Port and Terminal Operations: Çelebi operates Bandırma Port (36-year concession from TCDD, won in 2008 with $175.5M bid) and previously Antalya Port (Port Akdeniz, joint venture, 2006–2010). Revenue from cargo handling, container throughput, Ro-Ro, and bulk cargo services.
3. Tourism and Transport (Çe-Tur): Çe-Tur provides ground transportation services, including corporate transfers, hotel shuttles, and fleet management for corporate clients, government, and tourists in Turkey.
4. Fast Food Franchising (Little Caesars Turkey): Little Caesars Pizza has been operated in Turkey under Çelebi management since 1996. The brand operates through company-owned and franchise restaurants, generating revenue from pizza sales, home delivery, and franchise fees. Operates across Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, Izmit, and Mugla with approximately 5,812 restaurants globally (in 28 countries).
5. Marina Operations (Çelebi Marina Antalya): Çelebi Marina Antalya operates a full-service marina within Antalya Port, serving yachts and mega yachts. The marina earned the '5 Golden Anchor' award multiple times, indicating high service quality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Çelebi Holding is a Turkish conglomerate that primarily provides airport ground handling services (ramp, passenger, cargo, and VIP operations) to commercial airlines and governments through its core subsidiary Çelebi Hava Servisi (ÇHS) across airports in Turkey, Hungary, India, Belgium, Austria, and Germany. It also operates Bandırma Port under a 36-year concession, manages Çelebi Marina Antalya, runs the Little Caesars pizza franchise in Turkey, and offers corporate ground transportation via Çe-Tur.

Product overview

Çelebi Holding operates a diversified portfolio of services primarily focused on aviation ground handling, cargo management, port/marina operations, food franchising, and transportation. The core business is Çelebi Hava Servisi (ÇHS), providing airport ground handling across Turkey (Istanbul Atatürk, Sabiha Gökçen, Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum, and other airports), Hungary (Budapest), India (Mumbai, Delhi), Austria, and Belgium. The cargo division manages air cargo terminals with RA3 certifications. Non-aviation businesses include Little Caesars pizza franchise in Turkey, Bandırma Port operations, Antalya Marina, and Çe-Tur transportation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Little Caesars Turkey: Fast food pizza chain franchise operating in Turkey since 1996, known for Pizza!Pizza! slogan and 'one free with one' concept
• Çe-Tur
• Çelebi Marina Antalya
• Çelebi Güvenlik
• YOMA Restaurant & Bar

Products and services

• Çelebi Hava Servisi (ÇHS) - Airport Ground Handling
• Çelebi Cargo & Antrepo

Quantifiable outcome

• Delhi Indira Gandhi Airport projected to serve 66 million passengers/year by 2021 under DIAL management
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• GMR Group (Delhi International Airport Private Ltd - DIAL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÇelebi Hava Servisi partnered with GMR Group to operate ground handling and cargo terminal services at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport. Çelebi holds 74% in Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Private Limited and 51% in Çelebi-Nas India for ground handling at Mumbai. This partnership enabled entry into India's rapidly growing aviation market, serving airports that handle 23M+ passengers/year.
• Global Liman İşletmeleri A.Ş.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in Ortadoğu Antalya Liman İşletmeleri A.Ş. (Port Akdeniz), along with Antmarin İnşaat. Çelebi Yatırım Danışmanlık ve İşletme A.Ş. holds an equity stake. This partnership operated Antalya Port, serving cruise, container, and bulk cargo operations from 2006 until Çelebi divested its stake in 2010.
• Lufthansa German AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership since 1984 at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, expanded to Izmir, Ankara, Budapest (2006), and Mumbai (2009). Çelebi provides ramp, passenger, and ticket sales services for Lufthansa. This is one of Çelebi's longest-running and most comprehensive airline partnerships, spanning over 30 years.
• Turkish Airlines (THY)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing partnership with Turkey's flag carrier. Çelebi provides ground handling for THY cargo flights at Atatürk Airport and cooperates at multiple domestic stations through Miles&Smiles program.
• Thomas Cook Airlines / Thomson AirwaysmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorÇelebi provides ground handling at Dalaman, Bodrum, and Izmir for Thomas Cook Group's airline operations (Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways). Multiple awards received for service excellence.
• SunExpressmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership since the early 1990s at Antalya Airport, recognized as a 10+ year collaboration. SunExpress celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2010 with Çelebi, with both companies publicly acknowledging the long-standing partnership.
• Pegasus AirlinesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorÇelebi provides ground handling at Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) since November 2010 and multiple other stations. Cooperation extended through 2016.
• British AirwaysmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst customer for Çelebi-Nas India ground handling at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport (July 2009). Long-standing relationship also at other Turkish stations.
• Condor AirlinesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor20+ year partnership at Antalya and other stations. Condor recognized Çelebi with multiple service awards including a Cleanliness Award.
• United AirlinesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGround handling cooperation at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, with a dedicated cooperation announcement.
• Qatar AirwaysmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGround handling services at Budapest and Delhi airports. Recognized for five-star service quality at Budapest. Selected by Qatar Airways for Delhi operations.
• Cathay Pacific CargomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRamp cargo handling at Delhi Airport since February 2016, serving 9 flights per week.
• Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerÇe-Tur's General Manager Suat Sarı serves on the ITO Service Transport Committee and was appointed to the ITO Board, facilitating business networking and recognition.
• Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerÇelebi Holding sponsored the TAAI Istanbul welcome dinner, supporting Indo-Turkish tourism relations and building brand visibility in the Indian market.
• Little Caesars Pizza (International)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerÇelebi Gıda Grubu holds the master franchise for Little Caesars in Turkey since 1996. Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain globally with 5,812 restaurants in 28 countries. Çelebi manages all Turkey operations including supply chain, franchise development, and brand standards.
• BP and Castrol (Çe-Tur)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorÇe-Tur provides fleet transfer and transportation services for BP and Castrol employees, representing B2B corporate transportation contracts.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Swissport International: Global leader in airport ground services, cargo handling, and aviation fuelling operating at ~300 airports worldwide — the dominant scale player competing with Çelebi at international hubs like Budapest and Vienna.
• TAV Airports: Istanbul-listed airport operator that owns Havaş and operates terminals across Turkey, North Africa, and the Caucasus — broader scope than Çelebi but directly overlapping in Turkish ground handling and airport services.
• Dnata: Dubai-based (Emirates Group) global air services provider operating ground handling, cargo, and travel services across six continents — directly competes with Çelebi for airline ground handling contracts in international markets.
• Fraport: Frankfurt-listed operator of Frankfurt Airport and global airport concessions with significant ground handling operations — broader airport operator scope but directly comparable cargo and ground handling operations in markets where Çelebi also operates.

Direct peers

• Menzies Aviation: UK-headquartered (Agility-owned) global ground handling and cargo services company operating at 200+ airports — directly comparable to Çelebi in service mix (ramp, passenger, cargo) and target customer base (commercial airlines).
• Aviapartner: Belgium-headquartered European ground handling operator active across multiple European airports including Belgium — overlapping with Çelebi's Charleroi operations and competing for similar European airline customers.
• Havaş: Turkish ground handling company (now part of TAV Airports) providing ramp, passenger, and cargo services at Turkish airports — the most direct domestic competitor to Çelebi Hava Servisi across the same customer base of airlines.
• SATS Ltd: Singapore-listed market leader in gateway services and food solutions across Asia-Pacific, providing ground handling, cargo, and inflight catering — directly comparable business model and certification-driven positioning to Çelebi Hava Servisi.
• Worldwide Flight Services (WFS): France-based global air cargo and ground handling company serving airlines at major international hubs — directly comparable to Çelebi's Çelebi Cargo and ÇHS service offerings, with significant overlap in cargo terminal management.

Regional players

• Bangkok Flight Services (BFS): Thailand-based ground handling and in-flight catering company serving Bangkok airports — comparable business model to Çelebi's ground handling but operating primarily in a different geography (Southeast Asia vs. Çelebi's Europe/India focus).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/celebi-holding

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Çelebi Holding