United Airlines expands Denver pilot training center, phase two planned

United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) and CAE completed the first phase of expansion at the airline's Flight Training Center in Denver, adding 40 new CAE training devices since 2022, according to a company statement.

The facility now spans nearly 700,000 square feet across eight buildings on a 22-acre site in Denver's Central Park neighborhood. It holds 52 full-motion flight simulators and 34 fixed training devices, for a total of 86 CAE devices. The center can train up to 860 pilots per day and conduct more than 32,000 training events annually, operating 24 hours a day for 362 days a year.

United invested more than $145 million in a new building that opened in 2024. Since 2016, the airline has invested $370 million in the facility overall. More than 1,600 of United's Denver-based employees work at the training center across 24 departments.

A second phase of expansion is planned after the Denver City Council approved a rezoning request in July 2026 for two land parcels United purchased near Denver International Airport in 2023. Groundbreaking is expected in 2027, with the additional facility targeted to be operational around 2030.

United currently employs nearly 18,000 active pilots. Since 2021, the airline has hired more than 9,500 pilots, with 700 hired so far in 2026.

In 2025, United spent nearly $40 million on hotel room nights in Denver for pilots visiting the training facility, with an expected spend of nearly $50 million in 2026.

United also noted broader investment in Denver, citing nearly $1 billion spent since 2021 on airport improvements including new gates and lounge locations. The airline hired more than 1,400 people in Denver in 2025 and plans to hire more than 1,300 in 2026. This summer, United operates an average of 570 daily departures from Denver International Airport.

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