World’s largest pilot training facility adds 86 simulators in $145 million expansion

United Airlines has completed the first phase of a major expansion at its Denver Flight Training Center, pushing the facility’s simulator fleet to 86 training devices and giving it the capacity to train up to 860 pilots each day. The nearly 700,000-square-foot complex now ranks as the world’s largest pilot training facility. It operates around the clock and supports United’s growing pilot workforce through repeated simulator-based training. The expansion added 40 CAE-built training devices since 2022. Those include full-motion simulators that replicate aircraft movement and fixed devices designed for specific training tasks. 86 devices, one training hub United now operates 52 full-motion flight simulators alongside 34 fixed training devices. Together, they can support more than 32,000 training events each year. Pilots use the facility during their initial qualification process. They also return for recurrent simulator sessions every nine months to maintain their certifications. That creates a demanding operational schedule. The center runs 24 hours a day for 362 days each year, allowing United to cycle pilots through training without slowing its broader flight operations. The facility serves nearly 18,000 active United pilots. More than 1,600 employees also work at the training center across flight instruction, evaluation, scheduling, pilot hiring and other operational roles. Scott Kirby, United’s CEO, said the expanded facility supports the airline’s focus on maintaining high pilot training standards. “United pilots are the best aviators in the world,” Kirby said. He added that the project reflects investments supporting that standard. CAE supplied the new training technology as part of its decades-long partnership with United. The company combines full-motion simulators with fixed training systems to help airlines replicate different aircraft operations and emergency scenarios. Next expansion targets 2030 United already plans to expand the training operation again. Denver City Council approved a rezoning request in July for two undeveloped parcels near Denver International Airport. United bought the land in 2023 and has started preparing formal building plans. The airline expects to break ground on phase two in 2027. The additional facility could enter service around 2030. United will operate the new site alongside its existing training center. The expansion could provide additional simulator capacity as the airline adds pilots and aircraft. Matthew Bromberg, CAE’s president and CEO, said the partnership focuses on providing training technology at a larger scale. “We’re proud to support United with the training technology, expertise and reliability needed to prepare pilots at scale,” Bromberg said. Simulators drive pilot growth The first expansion phase also included a new building that opened in 2024. United invested more than $145 million in that project and added hundreds of jobs following its completion. Yet the bigger story sits inside the facility’s simulator bays. Modern pilot training increasingly depends on high-fidelity systems that can reproduce aircraft behavior without putting a real aircraft into service. Full-motion simulators add physical movement, allowing crews to experience changing flight conditions during structured training sessions. United’s growing network will require more pilots, creating additional pressure on training infrastructure. The airline plans to add 1,300 employees in Denver during 2026, although the broader hiring figure extends beyond the training operation. For now, the expanded center gives United Airlines one of aviation’s largest concentrations of pilot training technology. Phase two aims to push that capability even further before the decade ends.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Aamir is a seasoned tech journalist with experience at Exhibit Magazine, Republic World, and PR Newswire. With a deep love for all things tech and science, he has spent years decoding the latest innovations and exploring how they shape industries, lifestyles, and the future of humanity.