A partnership between Adani Airport Holdings and Chinese travel platform DragonPass has been abruptly scrapped just days after it was announced, following growing national security concerns. The decision cuts off DragonPass’s access to lounges at all airports managed by Adani, which includes major hubs like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Guwahati. The company confirmed the move, clarifying that regular passengers won’t face any disruption in lounge services.
The decision reflects India’s increasing caution towards foreign players, especially from countries like China and Turkey, operating in critical infrastructure sectors. This scrutiny has intensified since the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, leading to a broader review of firms with access to sensitive areas such as aviation. Authorities are particularly concerned about the implications of allowing foreign entities access to passenger data and real-time airport operations, especially when digital platforms are involved.
DragonPass, a Guangzhou-based company, offers global airport lounge access and travel perks, often through corporate tie-ups and premium credit cards. In India, it had quietly expanded its presence across over 30 cities—including key airports in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, and Srinagar—making it a significant player in the country’s lounge ecosystem. But its extensive reach and backend integration reportedly sparked alarm within Indian regulatory circles, especially over concerns related to data privacy, passenger tracking, and potential surveillance.
Despite being led by a British national, Mark Ian Koch, and having a UK-registered international arm, DragonPass’s Chinese origins remained a sticking point. The company has been branding itself as a global travel service, boasting over 10 million users and ambitions to operate across 1,500 lounges worldwide by 2025. However, the growing geopolitical friction and India’s stance on limiting Chinese influence in strategic sectors eventually proved too difficult for the partnership to survive.
DragonPass is not the only foreign company facing heat. The Indian government also revoked security clearance for Turkish firm Celebi Airport Services, which manages ground handling at several Indian airports. These moves indicate a broader policy shift, where authorities are reevaluating foreign involvement in aviation and related services—especially from countries India views through a more cautious lens due to national security issues.
For Indian travellers, the end of the DragonPass-Adani tie-up is unlikely to cause significant disruption. Most premium Indian credit cards already offer lounge access through domestic aggregators like DreamFolks, and global platforms such as Priority Pass continue to be widely accepted. While some credit card holders may lose DragonPass-linked benefits, alternative access options remain robust and widely available. So overall, while the development signals a strong political and security message, the day-to-day experience for flyers should remain largely unchanged.
