Turkish aviation services firm Celebi Aviation has pulled out of its ground handling and cargo operations at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, months after it acquired 100 percent of Transglobal Cargo Centre Limited, operator of Africa Flight Services at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Celebi is an air cargo handling business. It operates at the Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and handles approximately 200,000 tonnes of cargo annually.
The decision, disclosed on Thursday, April 23, follows a review of its operations in Tanzania, after which the company decided not to continue under the current structure.
Çelebi Aviation Exits Tanzania
With the concession period over, the group decided to step back rather than renew or restructure operations in the same format.
“Following the expiry of the concession agreement for the airport where the aforementioned subsidiary operates, operations in the relevant market will not continue under the current structure, following a comprehensive evaluation of the operating framework, in line with our Company’s long-term value creation strategy,” the notice read in part.
“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 would support its long-term value creation strategy.”
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 was negative 2.1%, reflecting a limited footprint in the consolidated results.
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Çelebi Entered Kenyan Market with $40.1M Acquisition of Transglobal Cargo Center
Billionaire businessman Peter Muthoka sold his airport services firm, Transglobal Cargo Center, the operator of Africa Flight Services (AFS), to Celebi Aviation for Ksh5.17 billion($40.1 million), marking one of the largest transactions in Kenya’s logistics market.
AFS handled about a third of export cargo at Kenya’s main airport, including flowers, vegetables, and other time-sensitive goods.
The company also managed warehousing and ground handling, making it a key link in Nairobi’s logistics chain.
The JKIA handles roughly 400,000 tonnes of cargo a year and is slated to grow by about 5% annually over the next five years, outpacing global growth.
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On the import side, AFS accounted for roughly 20% of volumes, with Kenya Airways Cargo leading at 32%. Other major competitors include Swissport and Signon Group.
With more than 65 years of experience, Çelebi Aviation provides ground handling and cargo services to over 400 airline customers across three continents, with operations in Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Tanzania, and Türkiye.
