When 300 United Airlines pilots return to work after being furloughed, they will get retrained at the airline’s Denver flight-training center.
Known as “TK” among United employees, the Stapleton facility is used to train all United pilots, as well as some of the flight attendants, mechanics and dispatchers. It also trains pilots for Air Force One and crews for more than 40 airlines with pilots from around the world.
“If you walk the halls, you will hear the people speaking languages from all over the world,” said Brad Thomann, managing director for Flight Standards and Training.
In a recent message to employees, United chief executive Glenn Tilton called the training center a “unique asset” that will be retained. Earlier this month, United announced that it would close a Stapleton-area reservation call center.
The training center employs about 600, has a payroll of about $52 million and fills about 66,000 room nights in nearby hotels each year with trainees.
The center also is preparing to train pilots who will fly the Eclipse 500 very light jet for Eclipse Aviation. The first training device will arrive around October, and the center will start assessments of Eclipse pilots late next year.
“We’re really trying to build our United training business,” Thomann said, “and it’s really good for the city of Denver.”
Hotels at Stapleton are part of the infrastructure that remain after Denver’s former airport closed.
Thomann said he thinks United’s training center has helped them survive.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at 303-820-1488 or kyamanouchi@denverpost.com.
