Airlines face up to a more sober future

As competitive pressures mount up on a variety of fronts, it seems the days of relentless expansion may be coming to an end for several giants of Gulf – and global – aviation. On 18 December, Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad confirmed that it was “undertaking a process of managed, controlled restructuring”. This would involve a “measured reduction of headcount in some parts of the business” – thought to mean the loss of anywhere between 1,000 and 3,000 jobs. Eithad has trimmed its route network over the past year, cutting the number of cities it serves from 116 to 112.