The Lufthansa Group has announced an ambitious recruitment plan for 2025, aiming to hire around 10,000 new employees across its various airlines and subsidiaries. This move comes as part of the group's strategy to bolster its workforce and service capabilities, even as it plans to reduce the number of new hires for its core Lufthansa Airlines brand. This dual approach reflects Lufthansa's commitment to growth alongside efficiency in its operations. According to the statement released on January 8, 2025, the Lufthansa Group, which includes airlines like Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, and Discover Airlines, will focus on recruiting for multiple roles. The target includes over 2,000 flight attendants, more than 1,400 ground staff, around 1,300 technical experts, 1,200 administrative staff, and 800 pilots. More than half of these new hires are slated to join the operations in Germany, showcasing Lufthansa's intent to strengthen its presence in its home country.
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However, Lufthansa Airlines, the flagship carrier, will continue with its "Turnaround efficiency program," introduced to streamline operations and address financial challenges. This initiative has led to a more cautious approach to recruitment for the core airline, with plans to hire fewer employees in 2025 compared to the previous year. The airline expects to onboard approximately 1,200 new staff members over the next twelve months, focusing primarily on operational roles. This is a significant decrease from the 3,500 cabin crew and 1,000 pilots targeted for recruitment in 2024, reflecting efforts to optimize resources while maintaining service quality. Lufthansa Group's recruitment drive is not just about numbers but also about quality and diversity in job profiles. Michael Niggemann, Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG responsible for Human Resources & Legal Affairs, highlighted the group's attractiveness as an employer. "The Lufthansa Group is and remains an attractive employer with many different job profiles and career options," he stated, pointing out that the company received 350,000 applications in 2024, from which they recruited over 13,000 individuals.
The decision to hire fewer for Lufthansa Airlines while expanding in other areas of the group's operations is a strategic one, aiming to balance growth with cost management. Lufthansa has faced challenges with low yields, competition from other international carriers, and escalating operational costs, prompting the efficiency program to cut costs by 2026. This program has seen measures like route adjustments, fleet optimization, and a focus on high-yield markets.
The Lufthansa Group currently employs more than 100,000 people across over 90 countries, and this new recruitment push is expected to cover a wide range of professions, particularly emphasizing growth in its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) division, Lufthansa Technik, and its various airline subsidiaries. Austrian Airlines and Eurowings are each looking to add around 700 employees to their ranks, focusing on expanding their operational capabilities. This recruitment plan aligns with Lufthansa's broader recovery and growth strategy post the global downturn in air travel. It underscores the group's commitment to not only recovering from past setbacks but also preparing for future challenges by ensuring it has the right human resources in place.