Qantas will outsource 850 corporate jobs to consulting firm Accenture, with most of the positions moving to India, as the Australian airline accelerates investment in artificial intelligence and information technology modernization. Chief Executive Vanessa Hudson announced the plan in an internal email to staff on Tuesday, saying the job cuts will begin in mid-2027.
The outsourcing will start with finance, procurement, human resources, and marketing roles shifting mostly to teams in India and some to Australia. Hudson said the airline is seeking to modernize its IT systems and cited the rapid pace of technological change. Qantas spends more than 1 billion Australian dollars annually on technology and operates more than 1,000 legacy applications that were not designed to work together, she said.
Under the multi-year deal with Accenture, Qantas aims to redesign and simplify corporate functions and reduce duplication so staff can focus on work that creates value for customers and the business, Hudson said. The company said the work transferred to Accenture will eventually be transformed further with automation and artificial intelligence.
Qantas employs approximately 28,000 staff in Australia and 4,000 globally. The announcement comes days after the airline issued a market update indicating fare increases and flight reductions due to higher fuel costs. Hudson acknowledged the difficulty of the news, telling staff she was sorry for the uncertainty it brings. The airline said it is in talks with unions and staff on the plans.