June 24--United Airlines has decided to consolidate its two pilot-training centers at an existing site in Denver, instead of building a new one in Chicago, the carrier said Wednesday.
Chicago and Houston were two other locations the airline considered as it decided to consolidated pilot training in a cost-saving move. Training centers in Denver and Houston were established before the 2010 merger of United and Continental.
Renovating the existing Denver facility emerged as the best choice, United spokesman Luke Punzenburger said. It was less expensive, less disruptive and could be up and running up to two years earlier, he said.
The airline has about 12,000 pilots who periodically cycle through the centers for ongoing training.
United expects to complete the renovations in Denver by the end of 2017, Punzenburger said.
gkarp@tribpub.com
