A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed by Hemant Shah on behalf of Winnipeg Airport Services Corporation (Wasco) and Global group chairman HK Vithalani in Ahmedabad recently in the presence of Candian consul and trade commissioner Ron Bollman.

Wasco is a branch of WAA, specialising in services related to airfield operations, managements and marketing. It has established its presence in the US, South Africa and Australia, besides Canada.

In India, Gujarat offers great opportunities with maximum number of airstrips (11) in a state, seven of them operating at Ahmedabad, Baroda, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhuj, Kandla and Keshod. The Surat airstrip is also being lengthened.

Global group's core business is to provide general sales agent (GSA) services to international airlines -- including Air Canada, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Finnair, Air Portugal, El Al Israel and Emirates -- through its network of offices in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, Pune, Kochi, Coimbatore, Thiruvanthapuram and Baroda.

Wasco, according to Shah, recognised Global group as an organisation providing quality airport, ground and terminal handling services to domestic and international clients and considered it as the right partner for upgradation and maintenance of airports in India.

On Global group's existing areas of operation and future plans, Vithalani said his company has been selected to look after Air India's passenger and cargo handling (except ramp handling) in Ahmedabad as part of the former's decision to pass on its handling responsibilities at some of its stations to private organisations.

The group has responded to tenders issued for creating similar facilities for Chennai and Goa airports, he said. It will bid for similar facilities proposed for Bangalore, Hyderabad and Calicut airports also.

The Global group, which recorded a revenue of Rs 35.80 crore in 1992, has posted a compounded annual growth of 50 per cent to cross the Rs 160-crore mark last year and projected a turnover of Rs 180 crore this year.

With Banque Nationale de Paris as its bankers, the group has plans to lay more emphasis on globalisation. It has been recently appointed as passenger sales agent (PSA) for Qantas at Ahmedabad and Pune, as well as that for Royal Nepal Airlines in west and south India.

The group has formed a subsidiary JTB Travels Pvt Ltd, which plans and organising outbound tour packages, specialising in Safari tours to Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, besides promoting tours to Nepal, Japan, Korea, Australia, USA, Mauritius and the Gulf.