Aaqib Khan
Gulmarg, June 25 : The iconic Gulmarg Gondola, a cornerstone of Kashmir’s tourism industry, is set to resume passenger services today at 3 PM, ending a month-long suspension triggered by a technical fault on May 25, 2026.
Official sources confirmed to news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will be present at the site when operations recommence. He is expected to be accompanied by his Advisor, Nasir Aslam Wani, and MLA from Gulmarg Farooq Shah.
The technical snag, which occurred on May 25, had left over 300 tourists stranded mid-air in various cabins, prompting a major multi-agency rescue operation. The J&K Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Cable Car Corporation’s technical and rescue teams worked in tandem for several hours to evacuate all stranded individuals safely.
The prolonged closure dealt a severe blow to the local economy, with hundreds of guides, photographers, pony handlers, and tour operators left without livelihoods. Sources said that while the Cable Car Corporation’s technical team has spent weeks rectifying the fault, multiple successful trial runs were conducted over the past two days to ensure safety parameters were met before the green light was given.
“The system has undergone rigorous monitoring and testing. We are confident about its operational safety,” a senior official familiar with the matter said, adding that the Managing Director of the Cable Car Corporation, Syed Qamar Sajad, had personally overseen the ground-level evacuation efforts during the crisis last month.
Local stakeholders, who had been anxiously awaiting the restoration of the service, expressed relief at the decision, hoping the reopening will revive tourism activity and restore the livelihoods that were hit hard by the suspension. (KNS)
