Industry News
A growing number of ski areas across North America are turning to AirFlare, a mobile-based location platform that helps resort staff quickly pinpoint the whereabouts of guests on the mountain. During the 2024–25 winter season, ski resorts initiated nearly 2,500 searches using AirFlare’s tools — a 27% increase from the previous year, the company announced.
Unlike traditional search and rescue methods that often require large teams and time-consuming coordination, AirFlare allows ski patrol or guest services to send a simple text link to a guest’s phone. When the guest opens the link, their precise location is transmitted back to resort staff, allowing for quicker and more accurate responses. AirFlare’s Web and Field Console tools are now in use at more than 30 ski resorts. On average, each resort using the platform launched 87 searches this season—up from 57 the previous year. One unnamed resort used it in more than 370 separate cases.
“More and more ski areas are recognizing AirFlare as an essential tool—not just for backcountry or lost skier searches, but as part of their everyday guest services toolkit,” Denis Lee said, AirFlare co-founder. “The ability to send a location link and get an accurate position from a guest in seconds has changed how resort teams operate. It’s fast, easy, and it makes a real difference.”
Blayne Woods, ski patrol director at Purgatory in Colorado, said the system has improved efficiency on the ground. “When we actually have an AirFlare location for them, we no longer need to send three people to go look for one person,” Woods said. “Now we can more accurately find where they are and narrow it down. So it’s decreased response times for sure.”
That’s exactly the point, according to AirFlare founder Eliot Gillum, who emphasized that the tool can reduce critical response times by several minutes in many situations. “What’s exciting isn’t just the number of searches—it’s the impact behind each one,” Gillum said. “Every time a resort uses AirFlare to assist a guest, we reduce response time by several minutes. In many cases, patrol teams can pinpoint a guest’s location and remotely guide them to safety without ever having to deploy personnel—saving time, conserving resources, and improving outcomes.”
Originally developed with backcountry searches in mind, AirFlare has since expanded its use cases to include on-piste skier assistance, wayfinding support, and other guest service scenarios. The company describes it as a “force multiplier” for patrol teams—especially in busy or high-risk situations. As more resorts integrate the technology into daily operations, AirFlare expects usage to keep climbing in seasons to come.
For more, visit airflare.com.
