Copper Mountain's American Flyer chairlift has officially opened.
The state-of-the-art chairlift was once expected to open by Christmas, but the resort said unexpected complications related to the lift automation software caused them to delay the opening until Thursday.
In a statement posted to its Facebook page, Copper Mountain says the new lift is the world's longest bubble chair, covering nearly two miles and taking riders to an elevation of 11,600 ft.
The American Flyer was one of two new lifts at Copper Mountain expected to open this ski season.
The American Eagle lift also experienced technical hiccups in November before eventually opening. 9NEWS reporter Matt Renoux was covering testing of the American Eagle lift in November when one of the empty gondolas malfunctioned and fell from the lift.
A spokesperson for Leitner-Poma, the company that installed the lift, said a gondola on the American Eagle popped off the cable after hitting a piece of construction material. This is something the company said would not have happened if the lift weren't under construction, and said the gondola would not have popped off during normal circumstances.
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