Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the Germany’s airline flag carrier and the largest airline in Europe, announced its plan to hire over 4,000 new staff this year to meet its projected growth in 2011. The airline company aims to employ about 2,200 new flight attendants to be based at the Munich and Frankfurt hubs, 900 ground staff, over 270 pilots for its pilot training program and roughly 300 new trainees. Lufthansa currently employs about 65,000 people in Germany and 117,000 worldwide.

Christoph Franz, Lufthansa’s new CEO, attributed the massive hiring to a growing numbers of passengers and increasing travel demand. “With increasing numbers of passengers, we will need more staff in our aircrafts and on the ground. This is a good example of how aviation can function as a motor for employment.” Franz added that the growing demand is also brought about by the company’s decision to expand the seating capacity in Lufthansa’s regional aircraft that include the new Airbus A380 models. Franz also promised that the flights would be cheaper this year.

Franz took over as CEO in January 1, 2011, replacing Wolfgang Mayrhuber who served as the former Lufthansa CEO for seven years. Under Mayrhuber’s administration, the airline company was turned into a profitable concern. More changes are expected to happen under Franz’s leadership.