2025 Mountain States Best Projects
Best Airport/Transit: Delta Air Lines Flight Operations Center
Delta Air Lines Flight Operations Center
Salt Lake City
BEST PROJECT
Submitted by Big-D Construction
Owner Delta Air Lines
Lead Design Firm MHTN Architects
General Contractor Big-D Construction
Civil Engineer Great Basin Engineering
Structural Engineer Reaveley Engineers
MEP Engineer Van Boerum & Frank Associates
Featuring a steel-frame structure with striking metal skin panels and dynamic curtain wall glazing, this aviation training facility was designed to both look and be cutting-edge. With the latest in technology, the 50,000-sq-ft, two-story center houses technical training areas and multiple support areas.
Inside are advanced pilot training systems, complete with four expansive high-ceiling bays equipped with full motion simulators, along with four procedure trainers and comprehensive support infrastructure. The main floor contains classrooms, gathering spaces and mechanical support spaces, and the second level provides a direct connection to the simulators, which can be accessed and seen from the second floor along with additional classrooms, training rooms and offices.
This is the first flight training center that Delta has built outside of its main pilot training facility in Atlanta, and it will help the airline’s pilots complete their requisite 1,500 hours of training before certification and retrain once a year.
Photo courtesy Jared Kenitzer
Realizing this space required meeting an aggressive 11-month schedule. To contend with winter weather during building erection, the team utilized temporary heating solutions until the building’s conditioning systems arrived in the spring. Insulated blankets also helped ensure proper curing on any of the building’s concrete finishes. Across the site, the team completed all paving before winter in anticipation of a wet spring.
Meanwhile, procuring and installing the facade’s metal skin panels proved challenging due to the material’s delicate nature, which required careful handling to avoid damage.
Long lead times for items such as the freight elevator, chillers, air handlers and dynamic glass caused delays, mitigated as best as possible with early procurement and resequencing work.
To harness as much natural light as possible, the building features dynamic glazing on three sides. A glycol-based hydronic heating system within the concrete in the dock area and main entrance will keep the building cool in the hot summer months and warm during the winter, significantly reducing the HVAC system’s energy consumption.
