DIMO secures elevator, escalator and moving walk project of Male’s Velana Intl. Airport

Proposed expansion project of Velana International Airport, Maldives 

DIMO, one of Sri Lanka’s leading conglomerates, has achieved another significant milestone on the international stage by securing a project for the supply, installation and maintenance of elevators, escalators and moving walks at the Velana International Airport of Male.

DIMO enters this project geared with the exceptional product offerings of TK Elevator (formerly known as thyssenkrupp), a global leader in elevators and escalators from Germany. 

DIMO’s partnership with TK Elevator commenced back in 2018 when DIMO was appointed as the sole distributor, installer and service provider in Sri Lanka and Maldives for this world-class mobility solutions provider. 

This partnership symbolises the best in urban mobility in both the Sri Lankan and Maldivian markets. Since then, DIMO has been able to successfully enhance people’s lives every day by providing state-of-the art technology and superior products which boost their daily mobility requirements. 

DIMO was able to build a capable team by attracting the best talents in the industry and providing them training at TKE Campus. The said team of professionals are capable of catering to any complex project in the urban mobility domain.  It was a major breakthrough to increase the Sri Lankan TKE market share by a significant portion during this very short span of time.   

Under this project, DIMO will provide 23 elevators, 14 escalators and four horizontal moving walks for the Velana International Airport. This project is one of the biggest mobility related projects in Maldives and is also one of the few projects in Maldives which has all three types of transportation methods – elevators, escalators and moving walks.

DIMO Chairman and Managing Director Ranjith Pandithage said: “DIMO is in the forefront on developing infrastructure in Sri Lanka and recently we have moved forward, expanding our services beyond our shores. Facilitating Velana International Airport of Male is our latest project out of Sri Lanka.”

“DIMO will set up a project office in Male to ensure that the project work is executed smoothly and efficiently, while also attracting outstanding engineering talent from the Sri Lankan market. With the establishment of this new project office in Male, DIMO will continue to grab market opportunities and enhance sales and maintenance operations in Maldives,” stated DIMO Director Wijith Pushpawela. 

The main contractor of the project is the Saudi Binladin Group, a multinational construction conglomerate headquartered in Saudi Arabia while the subcontractor is China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

The strong project reference base in the space of ‘Building Services’ and the technical expertise of DIMO, supported by the market leader status of TK Elevator Company for mobility related solutions in airport projects world-wide, were significant plus points for DIMO to secure this large-scale project. DIMO was given continuous support from its principal TK Elevator Company throughout the pre-sale, tendering and execution stages. Velana International Airport is the only airport in Male serving as the main gateway into the Maldives for tourists and is managed financially and administratively by an independent corporate entity known as Maldives Airports Company Ltd. (MACL). 

The new international passenger terminal building designed to offer an International Air Transport Association (IATA) Level B service will have an increased built-up area of more than 78,000 square metres capable of accommodating up to 7.5 million passengers annually.