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In 1958, the first private ground services company, Çelebi Ground Handling was established at Ankara Esenboğa Airport by a Turkish Air Force pilot, Ali Cevat Çelebioğlu. Our first clients were Iran Air and Sabena Belgian Airlines.
In the following years, Usaş was established as a partnership of Türhol, Türk Express and THY. This brought competition to the multi-company ground services environment.
In 1965, Çelebi Ground Handling started to serve the United States Air Force (USAF) at the Ankara Esenboğa Airport.
In 1969, İstanbul branch of Çelebi Ground Handling was inaugurated. Swissair was the new client at Ankara Esenboğa Airport in the same year.
The first Ground Services Regulation was issued by the Ministry of Transport. The required minimum numbers of personnel and equipment were determined in this regulation and the regulation took effect. Starting from it's the inception of these regulations Çelebi Ground Handling has worked in total conformty with them.
In 1971, Çelebi Ground Handling served Atlantis Airlines in ramp and traffic services for 6 months.
Following the satisfaction of this carrier, furhter requests were received from other foreign airline companies. Çelebi Ground Handling recruited additional technicians to provide technical handling services, and these companies were started to be served in plane line maintenance services.
In 1975, Çelebi Ground Handling started to give ramp and traffic services to Austrian Airlines and British Airways.
In 1976, German Air Forces (GAF) and Balair took its place among Çelebi Ground Handling's distinguished clients.
In 1982, our founder, Ali Cavit Çelebioğlu, passed away.
Çelebi Ground Handling was serving with 100 employees in 1982.
In late 1982, during the preparation of the 1983 Ground Services Regulation, the authorities planned to add a clause to the Regulation, envisaging that companies had to have 51% state ownership to be able to give ground handling services. This caused understandebly strong reaction among the foreign airline companies, which feared that such precondition would seriously damage competition. Following our insistent efforts carried out within the framework of legal principles and regulations, this serious potential threat to the competition at the sector was averted.
At this point, other private ground service companies transferred their authorizations to Usaş, and competition went on within this structure between two operating companies.
Starting from 1984, Çelebi Ground Handling started to give services to Lufthansa Airlines in İstanbul. Being a milestone in our company's history, this choice of Lufthansa was followed by other airline companies.
In 1986, Çelebi Ground Handling opened a new branch in İzmir Çiğli Airport and started serving Lufthansa there as well.
The average number of employees in 1986 was 309.
In 1987, our İzmir station moved to Adnan Menderes Airport from Çiğli.
In 1989, Çelebi Ground Handling became a member of International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The average number of personnel was 559.
In 1990, our company was deeply affected by the economic crisis followed by the Gulf War. Our two clients, Iraq and Kuwait Airways ceased their operations. The incoming flights from the countries close to the region were partially cancelled. Flights planned from other regions were reduced and the body types of the planes started to be smaller.
Our administrative and financial precautions helped us to survive the long lasting
after-war periods.
Our Antalya station was opened in the same year. Its first client was Lufthansa.
In 1991, ground handling business went on a strike for 45 days. During this time, we provided service for all scheduled and unscheduled flights of domestic and foreign companies, at the airports open to international air traffic.
charter flights. This decision affected our company positively, and paved the way for the beginning of a rapid growth period at the history of the company.
We had an average of 474 employees, after the effects of the Gulf Crisis and War.
During the strike in 1991, we opened our Dalaman station. After the changes in regulation following the strike, the first clients we served there were Hapaglloyd, Martinair and Britannia charter airline companies.
The required minimum numbers of personnel and equipment were rearranged by the Ground Services Regulation dated 25.01.1991.
In 1993, we started providing services at Adana Şakirpaşa Airport.
During the strike which took place in the beginning of 1995 for almost 2 months, we served all airline companies flying to Turkey at all airports open to international flights.
In this period, one of the competitor ground services company was privatized and this was followed by a period of competition on unit prices instead of service quality. This became the beginning of a recessionary period for both of the companies.
In 1996, as a part of the ramp services we started giving plane loading and unloading services for the domestic flights of THY in İstanbul Atatürk Airport,
As of 1997, we were not only making all loading/unloading of THY's domestic and international flight planes, but also serving at luggage gathering and dispatch locations.
In 1997, we completed our set-up in Bodrum Airport and started serving the foreign charter airline flights as well as the domestic ones.
The average number of employees was 2385.
In 1998, State Establishment for Airports Administration (DHMİ) made changes in the required minimum number of personnel and equipment.
In 1998, we started giving luggage matching services for THY's domestic and international flights at İstanbul Atatürk Airport.
In the same year, we started operating at Çorlu Airport, which is still under the responsibility of Turkish Air Force.
We took necessary precautions against the negative effects of the global crisis in 1998.
In 1999, in addition to all the services given to THY in İstanbul Atatürk Airport, we started to provide plane loading and unloading services as well as those at the baggage sorting area, to THY's all domestic and international flights at Ankara Esenboğa, İzmir Adnan Menderes, Antalya and Adana Şakirpaşa Airports.
The global crisis in 1998, together with Turkey's political crisis and ramifications of the big earthquake that damaged northwestern Turkey in 1999, constituted two periods adversely affecting our company.
In 2000, the AHS.1000, reputable aviation quality control system was installed in our İstanbul station.
Çelebi Ground Handling formed an association named Aviance, together with ground services companies operating in 6 different countries. The aim of this organisation is to build and enhance cooperation among member handling companies at areas of developing common service standards, education, information technologies and marketing strategies.
In 2001, we were awarded the bid for in-depth cabin cleaning and transit services for THY planes at İstanbul Atatürk, Ankara Esenboğa, İzmir Adnan Menderes, Antalya and Adana Şakirpaşa Airports.
In 2002, installation of AHS.1000 quality system was completed in our Dalaman, Bodrum, İzmir, Ankara and Antalya stations.
In 2003, The Company is awarded its ISO 9001:2000 certificate after being audited by TUV-Rheinland. The Çelebi Cargo and Warehouse goes into service at İstanbul Atatürk Airport. The Company begins serving airlines at the Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Kayseri, Samsun and Trabzon airports. It is awarded the contract to build DHMİ's second international terminal at the Antalya Airport under the "build-operate-transfer" model.
In 2005, After the Çelebi Ground Handling initiated its services at the Gaziantep, Kars, Malatya and Van Airports in 2004, and at the Sivas Airport in 2005, the number of the Çelebi stations raised to 19. On 7 April 2005 Antalya 2nd International Terminal was opened to service. Moreover, Çelebi won the Turkish Airlines tender at four more airports in Turkey, and hence the number of the cities in which the Company is at the service of Turkish Airlines has increased to 11.
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