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Qantas plans to cut 850 corporate jobs as some work moves to India
Developing story first seen 7 hours ago
Qantas has confirmed that more than 850 corporate jobs will go over the next few years as it redesigns its operations with technology firm Accenture. Some work is reportedly due to be outsourced to India, bringing renewed scrutiny of the airline’s earlier assurance to a union that it had no plan to offshore Australian jobs.
The changes will affect finance, procurement, human resources and marketing, with the first phase expected by mid-2027. Qantas says it will consult staff and unions and seek to redeploy and retrain workers; the partnership is part of its annual $1 billion technology investment. The airline reported underlying pre-tax profit of $2.06 billion for the year to 30 June 2026.
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In short
- Qantas plans to cut more than 850 corporate jobs.
- Some work is reportedly set to move to India.
- The first changes are expected by mid-2027.
How this story developed
- 19 minutes ago Qantas has confirmed that more than 850 corporate jobs will go over the next few years as it redesigns its operations with technology firm Accenture.
- 2 hours ago Qantas has confirmed it will cut more than 850 corporate jobs over the next few years as it overhauls its operations in partnership with Accenture.
- 5 hours ago Qantas has confirmed it will cut more than 850 corporate jobs over the next few years as it overhauls its operations with Accenture, citing rapid changes in technology and artificial intelligence.
- 5 hours ago Qantas plans to cut more than 850 corporate jobs over the next few years as it outsources some work to India under a deal with technology consultancy Accenture.
- The Guardian Qantas to cut 850 Australian jobs and outsource work to India under AI-driven overhaul
- BBC Business Qantas to outsource 850 local jobs with most roles moving to India
- CNA Qantas to cut 850 jobs as it rushes to keep pace with AI
- Daily Mail Qantas plans to cut 850 corporate jobs as some work moves to India
Full account
Qantas plans to cut more than 850 corporate roles over the next few years as it overhauls the systems and processes behind its airline and loyalty businesses. The changes are linked to a multi-year agreement with consulting firm Accenture, which will help modernise the group’s technology, data and operations. Qantas says the first changes are expected by mid-2027.
Some services are expected to move to Accenture teams in India, according to one report. The work affected is expected to include finance, procurement, human resources and marketing. Qantas says it will consult employees and unions in the coming months and that individual outcomes have not yet been decided. It intends to redeploy as many affected staff as possible, including through retraining and new roles in Australia.
Chief executive Vanessa Hudson described the overhaul as a response to rapid changes in technology and artificial intelligence, and said the decision did not diminish employees’ contributions. Qantas says automation and AI will be built into redesigned processes. It also points to its Adelaide innovation centre, which is expected to grow to more than 400 roles, and says it has created thousands of operational positions since 2023.
The plans come amid wider corporate restructuring in Australia. One report places Qantas’s proposed cuts alongside recent moves by National Australia Bank and Canva, while also describing pressure on workers from living costs and a subdued economy. Qantas has separately said resilient customer demand has helped offset some of the effect of higher fuel costs, though it expects to adjust fares and capacity as needed.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first report says more than 850 jobs will be cut over several years and describes India outsourcing as part of the corporate overhaul. The second gives 850 local jobs as the figure and says some services will transfer to Accenture’s India-based team.
The reports frame the timing differently: the first says the initial wave should be in place by mid-2027, while the second says the first changes will take effect by the middle of next year.
The first report gives more detail on the affected corporate functions, redeployment plans and the union’s earlier account that Qantas had said it would not offshore Australian jobs. The second instead places the cuts in the context of recent restructuring announcements at NAB and Canva and broader economic pressures.
Left-leaning outlets 1
Only here: australian, driven, overhaul
Centre outlets 2
- Qantas to outsource 850 local jobs with most roles moving to IndiaBBC Business
- Qantas to cut 850 jobs as it rushes to keep pace with AICNA
Only here: local, roles, moving, rushes, keep
Right-leaning outlets 1
Only here: plans, corporate, moves
Every side used: qantas, jobs, india
Headline columns compared word for word; nothing in them is AI-written.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Qantas can argue that modernising technology and moving some support work to a specialist provider will improve efficiency and help it adapt to changing customer expectations and artificial intelligence. It says it will consult staff and unions, retrain or redeploy people where possible, and continues to add operational roles.
The case against
Employees and unions can argue that cutting more than 850 corporate jobs will impose serious costs on workers and their communities, even if some can be redeployed or retrained. Moving work to India may also raise concerns about the loss of in-house expertise and whether promised efficiency gains justify shifting roles overseas.
Explained simply
Qantas is Australia’s largest airline, with corporate teams handling work such as finance, staff planning, purchasing and marketing. Accenture is a global technology consultancy that helps businesses change how they manage systems and services.
Airlines are using digital tools and automation to update their operations and respond to changing customer expectations. Moving some work to another country can lower costs or provide specialist support, but it can also affect where jobs are based and what happens to existing staff.
The planned changes come as Qantas says it has added jobs in operational areas such as flying and airport services. This reflects a wider distinction in the airline between office-based work and the roles needed to run flights and serve passengers.
Coverage · 4 sources
Bias meters
From 4 rated sources.
- Daily MailRightQantas plans to cut 850 corporate jobs as some work moves to India
- The GuardianLeftQantas to cut 850 Australian jobs and outsource work to India under AI-driven overhaul
- BBC BusinessCentreQantas to outsource 850 local jobs with most roles moving to India
- CNACentreQantas to cut 850 jobs as it rushes to keep pace with AI
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Qantas to axe more than 850 jobs to India as part of major cost-cutting plan”.