United Airlines expands Denver training center adding 40 new CAE flight simulators
United Airlines has completed the first phase of an expansion at its Denver Flight Training Center after adding 40 new CAE flight simulators. The additions include a combination of full-motion flight simulators and fixed training devices. United now operates 52 full-motion simulators and 34 fixed devices at the training center, which the airline describes as the largest pilot training facility in the world. The 22-acre campus in Denver's Central Park neighborhood includes eight buildings and nearly 700,000 square feet of training space. United said it can train as many as 860 pilots per day and conduct more than 32,000 training events annually. The center operates around the clock for 362 days each year. It is United's only pilot training facility, serving nearly 18,000 active pilots as well as newly hired flight crews. United pilots complete simulator sessions during initial qualification and return to Denver for recurrent training every nine months. "This expansion reflects the strength of a partnership built over more than four decades," CAE President and CEO Matthew Bromberg said. "We're proud to support United with the training technology, expertise and reliability needed to prepare pilots at scale." United opened a new 150,000-square-foot building at the campus in 2024 as part of the expansion. The airline invested more than $145 million in the facility, which was designed to accommodate additional full-motion simulators, fixed training devices, classrooms and support areas. The project, which kicked off in 2022, has created more than 300 additional jobs at the training center. United said approximately 1,600 of its more than 11,400 Denver-based employees now work at the training center in positions including flight instruction, evaluation, scheduling, pilot hiring and flight standards. United has invested $370 million in the campus since 2016. The training center was originally constructed between 1966 and 1968 as part of the former Stapleton Airport complex and has served as the airline's main pilot training facility since then. The airline is already preparing for another expansion near Denver International Airport (DEN). Denver City Council approved a rezoning request in July 2026 for two parcels of undeveloped land that United purchased in 2023. United expects to begin construction on the next phase in 2027 and place the additional training facility into operation by 2030. It will operate alongside the existing Central Park campus. The airline has hired more than 9,500 pilots since announcing its United Next growth strategy in 2021. It added approximately 700 pilots during the first part of 2026 and plans to hire hundreds more before the end of the year. United also operates its Aviate pilot career program, the United Aviate Academy in Goodyear, Arizona, and a pathway for active-duty US military pilots. The airline said nearly 600 military pilots have joined United through that program since 2024, with another 500 expected to make the transition by the end of 2027.