The German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG has named its A380 airliner "Munich" to show its support for the city's application to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. The airline said that it is aiming to further increase its presence in China. [Photo / Provided to China Daily]

SHANGHAI - The German flagship airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said over the weekend that it is aiming to further increase its presence in China, taking advantage of the fast-growing demand for aviation.

"With the start of additional services to Shanghai this summer, we will further increase our work force here," said Christoph Franz, chairman of the executive board and chief executive officer of the company at a news conference in Shanghai, adding that the airline is hiring an additional 70 Chinese flight attendants.

Franz said Lufthansa is committed to further develop flight schedules and cooperation with its Chinese partners in the coming years.

China is the first foreign market he has visited since taking up his position in January.

Franz also said that the company is seriously considering expanding its flights to more Chinese destinations, such as Shenyang in Liaoning province.

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When asked about his views of the future of high-speed trains in China and the relationship between rail and air, Franz said that the two modes of travel are complementary, not competitors.

Franz also said: "What is important is to link our airports to regional trains, and, if possible, link the important airports to high-speed rail."

He added that the two modes of transportation can work together, and "this is exactly the situation we experienced in Germany when Lufthansa, for example, stopped some short-haul flights because we opened high-speed rail link between the cities".

Franz said the company, the first European airline to introduce the superjumbo Airbus A380 to China, is "on agenda for discussions" using the aircraft for its Shanghai flights.

"We are very happy that we are using the A380 for our flights to Beijing. We may think about employing the aircraft for our flights to Shanghai ... We are observing demand developing for our existing flights."

Last year, Lufthansa started to fly the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, between Beijing and Frankfurt to serve the nation's strong demand.

It is the second overseas airline to fly the A380 to China following Emirates Airlines Group.

As the largest European airline in China, Lufthansa currently provides daily flights to five destinations: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Nanjing.