Qantas plans to outsource about 850 corporate jobs

Qantas plans to remove about 850 corporate positions over the next few years under an outsourcing agreement with Accenture. Staff were told of the changes by email on Tuesday. The first job cuts are expected from mid-2027, rather than all taking effect immediately.

Finance, procurement, human resources and marketing are among the functions involved in the first phase. Most services provided under the arrangement would be delivered in India, although some roles would remain in Australia. The announcement concerns corporate functions, not a new closure of flight routes.

Chief executive Vanessa Hudson said the airline needed to modernise technology built up over decades, simplify back-office work and prepare for the growing role of artificial intelligence. Those are the company's reasons for the changes, not proof that every affected position can be replaced by an AI system.

Hudson acknowledged the uncertainty for employees and said individual outcomes had not yet been determined. Qantas said it would consult affected staff. The total number of positions in the plan therefore should not be confused with a completed count of compulsory redundancies, or with the number of people who have already left the business.