Robin Kamark has stepped down from his role as chief commercial officer with Etihad Airways as the carrier restructures in the wake of the Covid-19 travel slump.

Following his departure, the business units within the commercial department will be separated and transferred to the leadership of Mohammad Al Bulooki, chief operating officer, and Adam Boukadida, chief financial officer.

Terry Daly will also assume the role of executive director guest experience, brand and marketing.

The restructuring is part of a winder transformation as Etihad seeks to turn itself into a mid-sized, full-service carrier concentrating on its fleet of widebody aircraft.

Etihad hopes – which once maintained hopes of challenging Emirates as a global super-connector – to emerge with a leaner, flatter and scaleable organisational structure.

Tony Douglas, group chief executive officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “After our best-ever first quarter performance, none of us could have predicted the challenges that lay ahead in the remainder of this year.

“I am extremely proud of the way my leadership team and the whole Etihad family have navigated the Covid-19 crisis so far, and I must express my gratitude to each member of the team for continually proving our adaptability to the most unexpected of circumstances.”

He added: “As a responsible business, 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.”