United Airlines Expands Denver Pilot Training Centre with 40 New CAE Devices

United Airlines has completed the first phase of a major expansion of its Flight Training Center in Denver, adding 40 CAE training devices as the airline continues to expand its pilot workforce and operations.

The 700,000-square-foot facility now houses 86 CAE training devices, comprising 52 full-motion flight simulators and 34 fixed training devices. The centre can train up to 860 pilots per day and conduct more than 32,000 training events annually.

United and CAE marked the completion of the first phase on Aug. 20. The expansion forms part of United’s continued investment in its pilot training infrastructure as the airline grows its fleet and workforce.

“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 Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines.

Matthew Bromberg, President and CEO of CAE, said: “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.”

Expanded training capacity

Located in Denver’s Central Park neighbourhood, the Flight Training Center occupies 22 acres and is the sole training facility for United’s nearly 18,000 active pilots and all newly hired pilots.

United pilots complete simulator training with pilot instructors and evaluators during their initial qualification process and return to the centre every nine months for recurrent training.

The facility operates 24 hours a day, 362 days a year, and can accommodate up to 860 pilots each day.

United has added more than 40 CAE training devices to the facility since 2022, increasing the number of full-motion simulators and fixed training devices available for pilot training across the airline’s fleet.

Further expansion planned

United is already planning a second phase of the Flight Training Center expansion.

In July 2026, the Denver City Council approved the airline’s rezoning request for two parcels of undeveloped land near Denver International Airport that United purchased in 2023.

Formal site planning is now underway, with construction on the next phase expected to begin in 2027. The additional facility is expected to become operational around 2030 and will operate alongside the existing Flight Training Center.

United invested more than $145 million in a new building at the training centre that opened in 2024. Overall, the airline has invested approximately $370 million in the Flight Training Center since 2016.

Supporting United’s pilot growth

The expansion comes as United continues to increase its pilot workforce. The airline has hired more than 9,500 pilots since announcing its United Next growth strategy in 2021.

United has hired 700 pilots so far in 2026 and plans to recruit hundreds more during the year. The airline currently has nearly 18,000 pilots.

More than 1,600 of United’s 11,400-plus Denver-based employees work at the Flight Training Center across 24 departments, including flight instruction, flight evaluation, scheduling, pilot hiring, human resources and flight standards.

The centre also generates significant economic activity in Denver. United spent nearly $40 million on hotel room nights for pilots visiting the facility in 2025 and expects that figure to approach $50 million in 2026.

Continued investment in Denver

The Flight Training Center expansion forms part of United’s wider investment in Denver, its fastest-growing hub.

The airline has invested nearly $1 billion in Denver since 2021, including new gates, expanded United Club locations and a new check-in lobby at Denver International Airport.

United is currently operating an average of around 570 daily departures from Denver during the summer and serves more than 200 destinations from the hub, including more than 20 international destinations.