United and CAE on Thursday celebrated the first phase of expansion at the world’s largest pilot training facility, adding 40 new CAE training devices (a combination of full-motion and fixed simulators) since 2022.
United’s Flight Training Center in Denver now has eight total buildings, nearly 700,000 square feet of training space, the equivalent of 12 football fields, and a total of 86 CAE training devices: 52 state-of-the-art full-motion flight simulators and 34 fixed training devices.
The airline now can train up to 860 pilots per day and with nearly 18,000 current pilots and continued growth ahead, United already has plans on adding to the training facility.
The Phase two of the expansion project is expected to break ground next year and be operational before 2030.
United Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby was joined by CAE’s President and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Bromberg, along with other United and CAE leaders, to celebrate the completion of phase one.
“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,” said Kirby, United’s CEO.
“This expansion reflects the strength of a partnership built over more than four decades,” said Matthew Bromberg, CAE’s President and CEO.
“We’re proud to support United with the training technology, expertise and reliability needed to prepare pilots at scale and we look forward to supporting its training needs for years to come.”
United’s Flight Training Center Capabilities:
Located in the Central Park neighborhood of Denver, the facility spans 22-acres and is the sole training facility for the airline’s nearly 18,000 active pilots and all newly hired pilots.
All United pilots complete intensive simulator training with pilot instructors and evaluators during the initial qualification process and every nine months thereafter to maintain their certifications at United’s Flight Training Center in Denver.
United’s Flight Training Center has 52 full-motion flight simulators and 34 fixed training devices.
The Flight Training Center can conduct more than 32,000 training events annually and train up to 860 pilots per day.
The facility is in operation 24 hours a day for 362 days a year.
In July of 2026, the Denver City Council approved United’s rezoning request for two parcels of undeveloped land United purchased in 2023 near Denver International Airport (DEN).
United has begun formal site building plans and anticipates groundbreaking on the next phase of the Flight Training Center expansion to begin on the new land in 2027, with the facility expected to be operational around 2030. The airline will operate the additional Flight Training Center in conjunction with its current facility.
Flight Training Center’s Local Impact
United invested over $145 million in the new building that opened in 2024. Following the opening of the new building, United hired employees for more than 300 new jobs.
In total, more than 1,600 of United’s 11,400+ Denver-based employees work at United’s Flight Training Center, representing 24 different departments in roles that include flight instructing, flight evaluating, scheduling, pilot hiring, human resources and flight standards.
In 2025, nearly $40 million was spent on hotel room nights in Denver for pilots visiting the training facility, with an expectation to spend nearly $50 million on hotel room nights in 2026.
United’s Flight Training Center was originally constructed between 1966-68 as part of the Stapleton Airport complex and has served as United’s main pilot training facility since then. Since 2016, United has invested $370 million in the Flight Training Center overall.
GIK/APA