Etihad Airways will emerge from the
Covid pandemic as “a mid-sized, full-service carrier concentrating on its fleet
of widebody aircraft”, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier has said as it carries out a
broad restructuring which sees several senior staff leave.
Tony Douglas, group CEO, said, “We can no longer continue to
incrementally adapt to a marketplace that we believe has changed for the
foreseeable future. That is why we are taking definitive and decisive action to
adjust our business and position ourselves proudly as a mid-sized carrier.
“The
first stage of this is an operational model change that will see us restructure
our senior leadership team and our organisation to allow us to continue
delivering on our mandate, ensuring long-term sustainability, and contributing
to the growth and prominence of Abu Dhabi.”
Etihad, owned by the Abu Dhabi government, was founded in 2003. Its restructuring comes after years of losses.
In 2019, the carrier made a loss of US$870 million but this was a
marked improvement on losses of US$1.28 billion in 2018, US$1.52 billion in
2017 and US$1.95 billion in 2016.
US carriers have long argued that Etihad and other airlines in the region have been receiving massive, undisclosed subsidies from the state, which the airlines deny.
Just before the pandemic hit, the airline served 76 destinations
in 49 countries, with a 101-strong fleet, largely made up of Boeing 787s and
Airbus A320s.
Douglas said, “None of us could have predicted the challenges that
lay ahead in the remainder of this year.”
The restructure sees a number of changes in the executive leadership
team.
Robin Kamark, chief commercial officer, is to leave the airline
and the business units under him handed to Mohammad Al Bulooki, chief operating
officer, Adam Boukadida, chief financial officer, and Terry Daly, who will
assume the role of executive director guest experience, brand & marketing.
Al Bulooki assumes
responsibility for network planning, sales, revenue management, cargo &
logistics, commercial strategy planning, and alliances, in addition to his
existing portfolio.
Duncan
Bureau, Etihad’s senior vice president sales & distribution, is also
leaving Etihad, his portfolio taken over by Martin Drew alongside his current
responsibilities as managing director for cargo & logistics.
As part of his new role, Terry will lead the Marketing, Brand
& Partnerships department, and Etihad Guest, the airline’s loyalty
programme, while continuing to oversee the Customer Experience & Service Delivery
department.
Akram
Alami, Etihad’s chief transformation officer, and Mutaz Saleh, chief risk & compliance officer,
are also leaving the airline.