Etihad spokesman Updesh Kapur declined to offer any specifics, though the company's statement described the layoffs as coming "in a fair, structured and transparent way."
Etihad has code-share agreements with some 50 airlines and holds stakes in Air Berlin, Air Seychelles, Jet Airways, Air Serbia, Alitalia and Virgin Australia. It has a fleet of some 120 aircraft.
The UAE is also home to the Dubai-based long-haul carrier Emirates.