Global air carrier Cathay Pacific Airways plans to hire 200 flight attendants in 2012 as part of India expansion plan. 

"We will be hiring 200 cabin crew in all in 2012," a company spokesperson said. 

The last recruitment exercise in India was held 15 years ago, the airline said. 

Over 2,000 shortlisted candidates of Indian nationality, over 18 years of age and are fluent in Hindi and English, will be invited to interview sessions in February, the company said in a statement here. 

"Cathay Pacific is committed to serving India and contributing to the country's aviation industry. Recruiting local cabin crew will enable us to fine-tune our services to cater specifically to Indian travellers," Cathay Pacific General Manager (South Asia, Middle East and Africa) Tom Wright said. 

Successful applicants will be trained and based in Hong Kong - the home of Cathay Pacific. The airline operates a fleet of 131 aircraft and serves more than 160 destinations around the world. 

The airline has been operating passenger services between Hong Kong and India since 1982 and flies to three cities here - Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai.