Etihad Airways confirms job cuts

Etihad Airways is cutting jobs in some parts of its business as a part of a restructuring.

The airline said in a statement that it was operating in an “increasingly competitive landscape” against a backdrop of “weakened global economic conditions”.

It gave no figures in as to the anticipated number of job cuts, but a spokesperson told Reuters that the majority of those affected will be through “natural attrition”, meaning vacancies will not be filled.

The restructuring is intended to reduce costs, improve productivity and revenue, the statement from Etihad Airways said.

Bloomberg reported that, the cutbacks started in the last few weeks and will range from about 1,000 to as many as 3,000 jobs, according to people familiar with the plans, who asked not to be identified because the figure isn’t public.Bloomberg also reported that the cuts will also involve cabin crew and ground staff.

It said: “Etihad Airways is operating in an increasingly competitive landscape, against a backdrop of weakened global economic conditions.

“To ensure we remain agile and competitive in this environment, we constantly explore and pursue new ways of driving productivity and improving efficiency so that we can continue to deliver on our mandate and vision.

“This involves an ongoing process of organisational reviews and restructuring in different parts of the business in order to reduce costs and improve productivity and revenue.

“By undertaking a process of managed, controlled restructuring we are able to protect the business while at the same time continuing to invest in its future growth and progress.

“The restructuring will also result in a measured reduction of headcount in some parts of the business. We will do this in a fair, structured and transparent way while keeping a clear focus on operating the airline with the highest levels of safety, serving our guests and delivering the world-class service for which we are known.”

It added: “Etihad Airways is committed to supporting its staff through this restructuring and we aim to maximise redeployment opportunities within the group.

“At each stage of the process we will ensure that open and transparent information is available to all staff involved.”
Etihad last week agreed a code-sharing deal with Germany’s biggest airline Lufthansa in an attempt to strengthen its European network.

Airlines across the Gulf have commented in recent months on a drop in passenger demand, due to the knock-on impact of low oil prices and a flat global economy.