Every season brings new lifts. Italian ski resorts keep investing in their lift systems to improve comfort, capacity and speed. The 2025/26 season, helped along by the Olympics, has seen particularly large investment.
The Olympic lifts
The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics have brought exceptional investment in lifts.
Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Son dei Prade - Bai de Dones gondola: a new link between the centre of Cortina and the Tofane slopes. 10-seat cabins, capacity 2,400 people per hour
- Cortina Sliding Centre: a brand-new bobsleigh and skeleton track
Livigno
- Snow Park Lift: a new chairlift serving only the Olympic snow park
- Mottolino upgrade: new magic carpets and a new access system for the freestyle park
Bormio
- Upgraded snowmaking on the Stelvio run, with 100% coverage
- A new grandstand and finish area
Dolomiti Superski: record investment
Dolomiti Superski has invested more than €100 million in new lifts for the 2025/26 season.
Val Gardena
- Dantercepies chairlift: a new detachable 6-seat chairlift with heated seats and a weather bubble
- Capacity: 3,200 people per hour, with the ride up 30% shorter
Alta Badia
- La Villa - Piz La Ila gondola: replaces the old lift, with 10-seat cabins and an architect-designed station
- Improved floodlighting for night skiing
Kronplatz (Plan de Corones)
- New Plateau chairlift: 8 seats, one of the most modern in the Dolomites
- Top station with a panoramic restaurant
Val di Fassa
- Pozza - Buffaure gondola: a new direct link from the village to the slopes
- Shorter access times and no more need for a shuttle bus
Aosta Valley
Cervinia-Valtournenche
- Bardoney chairlift: a new 6-seat chairlift in the Plan Maison area
- An improved link with Zermatt (Switzerland)
La Thuile
- Ski school magic carpet: a new covered 200 m conveyor
- An improved beginners’ area
Piedmont
Via Lattea
- Cote Chevriere chairlift in Sauze d’Oulx: a new detachable 4-seat chairlift
- Shorter queues in the busiest sector
Trentino
Madonna di Campiglio
- Pinzolo - Campiglio Express gondola: an upgraded direct link between Pinzolo and Campiglio
- Transfer time cut from 15 to 8 minutes
Trends in modern lifts
Comfort on board
The new generation of lifts focuses on comfort:
- Heated seats: now standard on premium chairlifts
- Weather bubbles: automatic protection from wind and snow
- Wi-Fi on board: stay connected on the way up
- Assisted boarding: moving carpets that make getting on a chairlift easier
Energy efficiency
- Energy-recovery drives: cut power consumption by 30%
- Solar panels on the stations
- Variable speed: adjusts automatically to passenger numbers
Higher capacity
New lifts carry far more people:
| Lift type | Average capacity (older lifts) | Capacity (new generation) |
|---|---|---|
| 4-seat chairlift | 2,000 people/h | 2,400 people/h |
| 6-seat chairlift | 2,800 people/h | 3,600 people/h |
| 10-seat gondola | 3,000 people/h | 4,000 people/h |
| 3S gondola | - | 5,500 people/h |
To explore every ski area and its lifts, browse our ski resort pages.
Related articles
#new-lifts
#cable-cars
#chairlifts
#season-2026
#investment