Germanwings has started the new year with full aircraft - the seat load factor over the first days of 2011 was over 90 per cent. The Cologne-based low-cost airline can look back on a successful and above all expansive year in 2010 and is starting 2011 with numerous new routes and exciting plans.

In order to realise these plans, Germanwings will once again be taking on additional staff this year.

The opening of the new base at Hanover in April led to significant growth in the range of destinations on offer and the number of personnel employed by the low-cost airline. A total of three Airbus A319s currently stationed in Hanover serve 16 new direct connections, also providing jobs for many employees of the airline in the Lower Saxony region.

While passenger figures fell in April due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland, over the year as a whole Germanwings remained within its forecast range. During the last three quarters of the past year, Germanwings reported record increases in passenger figures month on month. In October 2010 alone, Germanwings managed to increase passenger figures by just under 18 per cent in comparison with the same month the previous year and carried almost 120,000 more passengers than in October 2009. The company achieved this with only four additional aircraft in its fleet.

There was good news for Germanwings employees and customers in November:  a study by Profiles International, the world leader in profiling instruments, named Germanwings the most productive German airline and one of the most productive companies in Germany.

The past year also brought a series of product improvements for Germanwings customers: for example, it is now possible to book a free seat next to your own and so travel in much more comfort. The new Best Tariff, in which the flight ticket, luggage and on-board catering are all included in an economical inclusive price, also proved a real hit. Since 1 September, the closer cooperation with Lufthansa means that Germanwings customers can now also collect Miles & More miles, and a new iPhone app launched in 2010 brings the mobile traveller even more enjoyment and convenience.

The past year was one of major investment for Germanwings: in September the airline ordered eight new Airbus A319 aircraft, which will be delivered in succession over the next few years. This underlines the growth plans of the airline, which currently serves more than 75 European destinations.