United debuts new flight simulators in Denver training facility

• The company bills the massive facility in the city's Central Park neighborhood as the largest flight training center in the world.

Why it matters: The simulators and facility show United — the city's largest private employer — is expanding its local footprint to hire and train more pilots.

State of play: The airline has grown in Denver over the past few years, announcing new destinations and amenities last year as it strives to become the city's premier airline.

Context: Denver is home to the fastest-growing hub in the airline's system, which so far this year has hired 300 pilots; it employed more than 2,300 pilots last year.

• The new building in Denver allows the airline to add more training capacity to its 16,000 total pilots, according to a company statement.

Between the lines: Each simulator trains for different model aircraft, Morgan tells us.

• New pilots are assigned a single specific model, completing a two-month training program. Pilots return every nine months for additional training,

What's next: The facility will house six additional flight simulators.