Every season brings new lift developments. Italian ski resorts invest continuously in renewing their infrastructure to improve comfort, capacity and speed. The 2025-2026 season, partly driven by the Olympics effect, has seen particularly significant investment.
The Olympic lifts
The Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics have brought exceptional lift investment:
Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Son dei Prade / Bai de Dones gondola: new connection between the centre of Cortina and the Tofane pistes. 10-seat cabins, capacity 2,400 persons/hour
- Cortina Sliding Centre: brand-new bobsled and skeleton track
Livigno
- Snow Park Lift: new chairlift dedicated exclusively to the Olympic Snow Park
- Mottolino upgrade: new magic carpets and improved access system to the freestyle park
Bormio
- Enhanced snowmaking system on the Stelvio piste with 100% coverage
- New grandstand and finish area
Dolomiti Superski: record investment
The Dolomiti Superski circuit has invested over 100 million euros in new lifts for the 2025-2026 season:
Val Gardena
- Dantercepies chairlift: new 6-seat detachable chairlift with heated seats and weather bubble
- Capacity: 3,200 persons/hour, ascent time reduced by 30%
Alta Badia
- La Villa / Piz La Ila gondola: replaces the old lift with 10-seat cabins and an architecturally designed station
- Enhanced night skiing lighting system
Kronplatz / Plan de Corones
- New Plateau chairlift: 8 seats, one of the most modern in the Dolomites
- Summit station with panoramic restaurant
Val di Fassa
- Pozza / Buffaure gondola: new direct link from the village to the pistes
- Reduces access times and eliminates the need for shuttles
Valle d’Aosta
Cervinia-Valtournenche
- Bardoney chairlift: new 6-seat chairlift in the Plan Maison zone
- Enhanced connection with Zermatt (Switzerland)
La Thuile
- Beginner area magic carpet: new covered 200 m conveyor
- Improved beginner zone
Piedmont
Via Lattea
- Cote Chevriere chairlift at Sauze d’Oulx: new 4-seat detachable chairlift
- Reduces queues in the busiest sector
Trentino
Madonna di Campiglio
- Pinzolo / Campiglio Express gondola: upgraded direct connection between Pinzolo and Campiglio
- Transfer time reduced from 15 to 8 minutes
Trends in modern ski lifts
On-board comfort
New-generation lifts prioritise comfort:
- Heated seats: the new standard in premium chairlifts
- Weather bubbles: automatic protection from wind and snow
- On-board Wi-Fi: connectivity during the ascent
- Assisted loading: moving carpets that make boarding a chairlift easier
Energy efficiency
- Energy recovery motors: reduce consumption by 30%
- Photovoltaic panels on stations
- Variable speed: automatically adjusts to passenger flow
Increased capacity
New lifts carry far more people:
| Lift type | Average capacity (old) | Capacity (new generation) |
|---|---|---|
| 4-seat chairlift | 2,000 p/h | 2,400 p/h |
| 6-seat chairlift | 2,800 p/h | 3,600 p/h |
| 10-seat gondola | 3,000 p/h | 4,000 p/h |
| 3S cable car | — | 5,500 p/h |
To explore all resorts and their lifts, visit our resort pages.
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