High Stakes, Higher Standards: A Turner Case Study

Fast-Tracking United Airlines’ Flight Training Center 

Turner Construction Company provided Design-Build services for Building H, a state-of-the-art, five-story, 155,700-square-foot flight training facility located at United Airlines’ Flight Training Center campus in Denver. Turner served as Construction Manager, guiding the project from planning through substantial completion on an accelerated schedule.

The facility supports United’s expanding pilot training needs—particularly for certification on the 737 Max and 70 Airbus A321neo aircraft—and includes 12 full flight simulator (FFS) bays, six fixed training devices (FTDs), as well as office and training room space. Building H was designed and built to accommodate both current and future Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP/fGMP) standards, further enhancing the functionality and future-readiness of United’s training operations.

Challenge

United Airlines needed to expand its pilot training capacity to meet rapid fleet growth, particularly with the addition of 737 Max and Airbus A321neo aircraft. The company required a new training facility that could deliver two full-flight simulator bays on an aggressive 16-month schedule, aligned with aircraft deliveries. This work had to be completed while building on an active, 24/7 training campus.

The project faced multiple challenges including severe weather events. United’s mandate remained clear: the first two simulator bays had to be delivered without disruption to training operations or overruns in budget schedule, while ensuring the new building matched the campus aesthetic with a brick-clad exterior.

Solution

Turner and BRPH delivered the project through a Design-Build partnership built on collaboration, transparency, and schedule certainty. The guiding mantra—“Two Bays in May”—kept the entire team aligned on the critical milestone of early simulator delivery.

Delivering the project on an active campus required precise coordination. The team scheduled tie-ins off-hours, established a secure and separated construction zone, and maintained a clean, organized site through Lean and 5S practices. A culture of trust and transparency allowed quick resolution of issues, while thoughtful budgeting enabled prudent risk-taking without jeopardizing cost.

Even severe setbacks, such as a record-breaking rain event that threatened to delay simulator turnover, were overcome through relentless commitment. The project team worked around the clock to protect the facility, demonstrating the collaborative, all-hands mindset that defined the job.

The Design-Build approach enabled rapid decision-making, continuous stakeholder engagement, and integrated design and construction planning. Early design-thinking workshops, phased permitting, and progressive scheduling ensured the project remained adaptable to shifting scope. The strategy centered on building a fully functional, self-contained “building within a building,” complete with utilities, egress, and life-safety systems, to enable turnover of two simulator bays months before full project completion.

The project team leaned into challenges beyond contractual obligations—such as adjusting fire alarm reporting methods and ensuring critical utilities were operational—to allow simulator certification without delay.

Results

The United Airlines Flight Training Center project met or exceeded every critical goal:

ON-TIME DELIVERY OF TWO SIMULATOR BAYS IN MAY 2023: Enabling pilot training to begin immediately.

COMPLETION OF BUILDING H IN FEBRUARY 2024: A 155,700 sq. ft. facility housing 12 full-flight simulators, 12 fixed training devices, offices, classrooms, and a pedestrian bridge.

ON BUDGET: Supported by proactive scope management and the flexibility of a Guaranteed Maximum Price contract.

PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY: LEED Silver certification achieved through energy-efficient systems, a robust building management system, and a rooftop photovoltaic array.

COMMUNITY IMPACT: Over 20% of subcontracted work was awarded to local businesses.

The project became a model of proactive risk management, design-build collaboration, and lean execution. By delivering early simulator capacity, adapting to evolving scope, and ensuring uninterrupted campus operations, Turner established a new benchmark for high- performance aviation training facilities. United recognized the effort as one of the most seamless and successful projects in its history.