Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson says the company has no other option.
Consultation is under way with 134 staff members over a proposal that could cut up to 40 positions.
Sanderson says the airport is going to be very different for a number of years, and it'll be a long time before passenger numbers return to pre-Covid levels.
The proposed restructure follows other cost measures such as deferring projects and moving staff to four day weeks.