Etihad Airways is operating in an increasingly competitive landscape, against a backdrop of weakened global economic conditions, a spokesperson for the national carrier said today, and stressed that the carrier is committed to supporting its staff through restructuring aimed at remaining agile and competitive.

"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," the spokesperson said in a statement.

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, the statement said.

"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 statement added.

The restructuring will also result in a measured reduction of headcount in some parts of the business, Etihad Airways said.

"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.

The spokesperson stressed that Etihad Airways is committed to supporting its staff through this restructuring and aims 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," the spokesperson said.