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MacroAsia Corp. has sealed a strategic cooperation deal with Weihai Guangtai Airport Equipment Co. to procure new ground support equipment (GSE) for catering and ground-handling
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Initially, MacroAsia will buy more than P120 million worth of GSE from Guangtai
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MacroAsia and Guangtai have also agreed to further explore possible cooperation in various business areas beyond GSE supply
MacroAsia Corp. is tapping Weihai Guangtai Airport Equipment Co. Ltd. for ground support gear as the aviation-related services provider seeks to recover lost ground due to the impact of the pandemic on the air travel industry.
On March 2, MacroAsia signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Guangtai for the acquisition of new ground support equipment (GSE) for catering and ground-handling.
The agreement covers the initial purchase of more than P120 million worth of GSE from Guangtai, MacroAsia said in a statement. MacroAsia signed the deal on behalf of its airline catering and ground-handling subsidiaries.
The purchase is part of MacroAsia’s capital expenditure plan for 2023 and the expansion of its services capability in various airports, the airport services firm said in a statement.
The deal is also in line with the recovery of the airline industry and the trajectory of growth in airports as airline travel volumes increase.
Guangtai, based in Shandong Province, China, provides a full range of airport-related ground service equipment and solutions. It is a major supplier of GSE for various markets worldwide.
MacroAsia said the agreement covers not only the supply of catering trucks and various GSE. Both parties will further explore possible cooperation in business areas beyond GSE supply. Guangtai is studying the establishment of an after-sales office in the Philippines in partnership with MacroAsia.
Both companies will also look at multi-sector expansion areas, such as airport firefighting gear, equipment maintenance, power and electronics, special vehicles, medical vehicles, and the like.
The definitive documents to implement the parties’ intent in the agreement will be finalized soonest, MacroAsia said.
After suffering business setbacks as international and domestic air travel came to a halt at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, MacroAsia is keen to recover. The firm has joined the SPIA Development Consortium that was officially awarded the US$11-billion Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) Project in Cavite last September.
MacroAsia also engages in aviation-support business at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila Domestic Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Kalibo International Airport, Davao International Airport, and the general aviation areas.
Its seven subsidiaries include MacroAsia Catering Services Inc.; MacroAsia Airport Services Corp.; MacroAsia Properties Development Corp.; MacroAsia Air Taxi Services Inc.; First Aviation Academy Inc.; MacroAsia Mining Corp.; Allied Water Services Inc.; and Tera Information and Connectivity Solutions Inc.
The company also has three affiliates, namely, Lufthansa Technik Philippines Inc.; Cebu Pacific Catering Services Inc.; and Japan Airport Service Corp.
Guangtai, founded by Li Guangtai on October 24, 1991, started from scratch and has since grown into a power equipment manufacturer and an integrated group serving the aviation industry.
In mid-March last year, Guangtai forged an agreement with Austrian power generator maker Hitzinger Electric Power to cooperate in research and development as well as manufacture of GSE.
The cooperation led Guangtai to exhibit its products at the GSE Expo Europe 2022, where the leaders of both companies decided on closer cooperation in the near future.
