Flight simulator. Photo: Shutterstock United Airlines and CAE (Canadian Aviation Electronics) have completed the first phase of an expansion at United's Flight Training Center in Denver, adding 40 new training devices since 2022 as the airline prepares for continued pilot growth.
The expansion has brought the facility to 86 CAE training devices, including 52 full-motion flight simulators and 34 fixed training devices. United says the Denver center can now train up to 860 pilots per day.
Located in Denver's Central Park neighborhood, the 22-acre Flight Training Center now consists of eight buildings covering nearly 700,000 square feet, equivalent to around 12 football fields. It serves as the primary training facility for United's nearly 18,000 active pilots as well as all newly hired pilots.
United's pilot training center in Denver. Photo: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.comUnited pilots complete simulator training during their initial qualification and return to the facility every nine months to maintain their certifications.
The center operates around the clock for 362 days each year and can conduct more than 32,000 training events annually.
United CEO Scott Kirby and CAE President and CEO Matthew Bromberg attended a ceremony marking the completion of the first phase.
Kirby said the pace of the project demonstrates United's commitment to investments supporting its aviation standards, while Bromberg highlighted the companies' partnership, which has lasted more than four decades.
The expansion is not finished. United expects to begin the next phase in 2027, following the Denver City Council's approval in July 2026 of a rezoning request involving two parcels near Denver International Airport. The additional facility is expected to become operational around 2030 and will operate alongside the existing training center.
United has already invested heavily in its Denver training operation. More than $145 million was spent on the building that opened in 2024, while total investment in the Flight Training Center since 2016 has reached $370 million.
The expansion has also created local employment. Following the opening of the new building, United added more than 300 jobs. More than 1,600 of the airline's Denver-based employees now work at the training center across departments including flight instruction, evaluation, scheduling, pilot recruitment and human resources.
The facility also generates significant economic activity in the city. United spent nearly $40 million on Denver hotel room nights for pilots in 2025 and expects that figure to approach $50 million in 2026.
The investment comes as United continues to expand its pilot workforce. Since launching its United Next growth strategy in 2021, the airline has hired more than 9,500 pilots. United had hired 700 pilots during 2026 as of the announcement and plans to recruit hundreds more this year.
Denver is also one of United's fastest-growing hubs. The airline has invested nearly $1 billion there since 2021 and is operating an average of about 570 daily departures from Denver this summer, serving more than 200 destinations.