Jun. 2—DENVER — If United Airlines is going to hire 10,000 more pilots by 2030, as the company announced this week, it's going to need a bigger training center.
So the airline unveiled plans to expand its 550,000-square-foot Denver Flight Training Center by adding a four-story building on its 23-acre campus in Central Park.
In a news release, officials said the existing campus is already "the largest facility of its kind in the world." It has seven buildings, 39 flight simulators, 15 fixed training devices and is the only training facility for United's 12,000 pilots. They must visit the center every nine months to keep certifications current. The expanded center will include 12 more flight simulators, more classrooms, conference rooms and office space.
"The expansion of this world-class facility gives United even more resources to recruit and train the next generation of aviators," Marc Champion, managing director of the Flight Training Center, said in the release. "Our pilots are the best in the industry and flying remains one of the best union careers in the world — great pay and benefits and the chance to captain the biggest planes to the most places around the world."
"The additional building means United will soon have the capability to have a total of 52 full-motion simulators and 28 fixed training devices," according to the release.
United has more than 7,000 Denver-based employees, with almost 1,000 working at the Flight Training Center. It was built in 1968 at the old Stapleton Airport.
United expects to hire 2,000 pilots this year, and it hopes at least half of the new hires will be women and/or people of color. For Denver job openings, visit united.com.
Construction is expected to be finished by the end of 2023.
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