Qantas to Slash Hundreds of Jobs, Send Roles Overseas

A general view of the Qantas training campus is seen in Sydney, Australia on Aug. 25, 2022. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Australia’s largest airline plans to axe nearly 1,000 jobs after striking an outsourcing deal that will involve many of the roles being sent offshore.

Qantas will cut 850 positions, including through mass redundancies, after inking a deal with tech consultants Accenture, staff were informed via an email on Nov. 10.

The first phase is set to affect roles in finance, procurement, human resources and marketing.

Under the arrangement, most of Accenture’s services will be delivered in India, although some of the roles will remain in Australia.

Chief executive Vanessa Hudson told workers she was sorry for the uncertainty the changes brought.

“I know this is hard news for some,” she wrote in the email to staff.

“[The changes] are about modernising the technology behind our business and becoming more efficient, so we can keep investing in our customers, our people and our future.”

The aviation boss said individual outcomes were not yet determined and the airline would consult affected employees.

Accenture and Qantas would together redesign and simplify the airline’s corporate functions, Hudson said.

She cited unwieldy back office workflows and the impact of artificial intelligence in explaining the move.

“The scale and speed of change in this space is unprecedented ... leading organisations around the world are well progressed in using technology and AI to completely transform how they work, and standing still is not an option for us,” Hudson said.

In August, Qantas reported a 2025-26 net profit of $1.3 billion (US$900 million), down 19.8 percent on the previous year.

Its underlying pre-tax profit also fell by 13.8 percent to $2.1 billion despite a 7.1 percent rise in revenue to $25.5 billion.

The airline has already cancelled a planned $150 million share buyback and could still raise fares in response to high costs due to soaring fuel prices.

Qantas had warned airfares could rise again in 2027 after it was forced to find another $200 million to cover a $3.8 billion fuel bill for the first half of the new financial year.

High jet fuel costs, driven by the Middle East conflict, shaved $420 million off its 2025-26 annual profit after the bill came in $610 million over budget.

By Max Aldred in Sydney