Continental Moving 350 Jobs to California from Colorado

After watching workers and companies flee to other states, California is picking up 350 jobs from Colorado.

Continental Airlines is closing a maintenance base in Denver this month and shifting some of the operations to an airplane overhaul facility in Los Angeles. More jobs might be shifted to Los Angeles, since a total of 1,500 positions in Denver are affected by the maintenance base closure.

The prospect of the region picking up jobs “is good news,” said Gary N. Conley, president of the Economic Development Corp. of Los Angeles County. “There have been losses to many states, including Colorado.”

Officials from the EDC traveled to Denver to help Continental employees in their relocation efforts, Conley said.

Continental’s Denver maintenance base is located at Stapleton International Airport, which will close later this year when the new Denver International Airport opens. Continental, which recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, said it could not afford to build a $300-million maintenance facility at the new airport.

The Houston-based airline said it asked Denver officials to keep Stapleton open to airplanes being overhauled at its facility. But the city refused, Continental said.

Denver airport officials were not available for comment.