United Airlines Finishes Phase 1 Expansion Of World’s Largest Flight Training Center

Published Aug 20, 2026, 5:24 PM EDT Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. United Airlines is celebrating the completion of phase one of United's Flight Training Center, located in Denver. The facility now has a total of eight buildings and more than 700,000 square feet (65,032 square meters) of training space. This includes a total of 86 CAE training devices, which include 52 state-of-the-art full-motion simulators and another 34 fixed training devices. This expansion sees the facility now permitting the airline to train up to 860 pilots each day, complementing the near 18,000 current pilots and continued growth projected. United already has plans to extend the facility further, with Phase Two of the project set to break ground next year and be completed by 2030. Investment in the United Flight Training Center Denver Hub Credit: Shutterstock The expansion cements the partnership that has extended over the last four decades between United and CAE, and is a result of continued investment to support the high standard of excellence across the airline's operations. Located in the Central Park neighborhood at 7500 E 35th Ave, the sole training facility for United spans more than 22 acres. The facility has been open since 1966, as part of the Stapleton Airport complex, and has continued to serve as United's primary pilot training facility since then. Since 2016, United has spent more than $370 million in redevelopment of the training center. The first phase of the extension included the addition of 40 new CAE training devices, which have progressively been added since 2022. The facility, which is the size of around 12 football fields, will see the continued growth and pipeline of future United pilots. The airline's Chief Executive Officer, Scott Kirby, was at the opening of the latest expansion, alongside CAE President and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Bromberg, along with other United and CAE leaders to celebrate Phase One completion. Kirby shared the following statement: "United pilots are the best aviators in the world, and the pace at which our team has completed this project is an example of making investments that support our high standard of excellence." Open 24 Hours A Day Credit: United Airlines All United pilots are required to complete intensive simulator training at this facility through the initial qualification process, and every nine months thereafter to maintain their certifications. Supporting the 18,000 active pilots and all newly hired crew, the training center is the epicenter of ensuring the airline maintains excellence for its pilots. The facility is open 24 hours a day, across 362 days of the year, and can conduct a total of 32,000 training events annually across 860 pilots per day. The Denver City Council approved rezoning requests for United's purchase of undeveloped land near the airport, for which the airline plans to begin its expansion for Phase Two of the training center, which will complement the current facility in Central Park. As already mentioned, Phase Two is expected to be opened by the end of the decade. Since 2024, United has spent more than $145 million on the new facility, and since the opening of the new building, the carrier has hired for more than 300 new jobs, including 1,600 personnel in Denver's 11,400-strong workforce. There are 24 different departments active at the training center, which include instructing, evaluating, scheduling, pilot hiring, human resources, and flight standards. On average, United spends more than $40 million on hotel room nights each year, with this expected to grow to $50 million in 2026. Continued Development For Denver Credit: Shutterstock Denver remains strategically important and is the airport's fastest-growing hub. Since 2021, the Star Alliance carrier has spent more than $1 billion in total investments to improve the overall customer experience at DEN, including new gates, new United Club locations, and the largest network to date. United hired more than 1,400 people in Denver last year, and more than 1,300 are forecasted to join the carrier in 2026. United has a broad range of career paths for pilots, catering to all levels of experience, which include: First Officer Hiring For experienced pilots who meet the airline's hiring requirements Aviate Program Pilot career development program Aviate Academy Wholly owned flight school in Goodyear, Arizona Military Pilot Program Provides full-time active duty military pilots conditional job offers as a First Officer United operates more flights to and from the state of Colorado than any other airline, and this summer is operating an average of 570 daily departures. The airline connects passengers to more than 200 destinations, including 20 international routes.