Delta bolsters SLC hub with major pilot training facility

Brice Wallace 

Delta Air Lines is spreading its wings in Salt Lake City, having recently broken ground on what will be the first pilot training center outside its headquarters city of Atlanta.

The 47,413-square-foot center adjacent to Salt Lake City International Airport, scheduled to open in 2025, will begin operations with four flight simulators and have the capacity for 10.

The move strengthens the airline’s ties to the state. Salt Lake City is a longtime hub for the company, which has 5,400 employees in Utah.

“This state-of-the-art training facility represents our dedication to running the world’s best airline, with the world’s best pilots, ensuring full capacity and unmatched performance,” said John Laughter, the company’s executive vice president and chief of operations. “As we expand our operations, Salt Lake City plays a pivotal role as a core hub within our network.”

Delta said the new training facility will complement its Atlanta facility, which has 34 full flight simulators, 13 flight training devices and 20 procedure trainers. The Atlanta center opened in 1968.

The company said the new center will boost its training capacity, bring training closer to pilots in western hubs, and enable faster and more efficient integration into the workforce without compromising its commitment to safety.

Delta already has training facilities for flight attendants in Salt Lake City, supporting thousands of training events annually.

Delta is Salt Lake City’s largest carrier, with more flights out of the city than the other companies combined. It has 240 peak-day flights to nearly 90 destinations worldwide, including Amsterdam, London and Paris.

In May, the airport opened five new gates on the eastern end of Concourse A. When completed, it will have 22 gates, all served by Delta. The company also earlier this year agreed to a new lease that extends its current lease to 2044 in Salt Lake City and boosts its gate count from 55 to 66, with an anticipated completion in 2027.

“Delta Air Lines connects us to a global network so that we can share what so many of us already know, which is that Salt Lake City and the surrounding region is one of the best places in the world to visit and certainly an even better place to call home,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“For decades, Delta has been an exemplary corporate citizen, employing thousands of Utahns, becoming the backbone of the Salt Lake City International Airport, and giving back to our community in so many ways,” said Gov. Spencer Cox. “This new state-of-the-art training facility only underscores Delta’s solid commitment to Utah, and we’re so grateful for their continued investment in our state and our people.”

“I’m thrilled to be on the ground in Salt Lake City to help celebrate the groundbreaking of Delta’s pilot training facility, a significant investment that will create jobs, boost our local economy, and help Utah continue setting the national standard for innovation, growth, and opportunity,” said U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah.

The new training facility will feature four high-ceiling bays to accommodate full motion simulators plus expansion space on the site for six more such simulators; four procedure trainers and easily accessible infrastructure that supports them; five classrooms, with expansion space for four more; 10 briefing rooms; and various environmental and sustainability features.