Qantas to cut 850 jobs in Australia in an outsourcing deal with Accenture
Qantas said on Tuesday it will cut 850 jobs in Australia — about 3% of its 28,000 Australian workforce — and outsource some corporate functions to Accenture under a multi-year deal, as it adapts to the growing use of artificial intelligence. The first phase covers finance, procurement, human resources and marketing, with the work to be delivered mostly by Accenture teams in India and some in Australia. Chief executive Vanessa Hudson told staff the cuts will happen over the coming years, with the first round by mid-2027, and that the airline will consult affected employees and their unions before individual outcomes are decided.
Key points
- 850 Australian jobs go over the coming years — about 3% of Qantas's 28,000 local workforce.
- Finance, procurement, HR and marketing are first; the work moves mostly to Accenture teams in India.
- First round by mid-2027; Qantas says it will consult staff and unions before individual outcomes are set.
What happened
The announcement came weeks after Qantas reported a 2025/26 net profit of $1.3 billion, down 19.8% on the previous year, and builds on earlier reductions at its Mascot head office in Sydney.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- The scale, functions, destination and timetable of the cuts, from Qantas's own announcement.
What we don't know yet
- Which individual roles go — Qantas says outcomes are not yet determined and consultation comes first.
- The value of the Accenture agreement — not disclosed.
Claim by claim
Show all claims (3)
Why this label: The numbers, functions, destinations and timing are Qantas's own announcement as conveyed in Hudson's staff email, reported in the same terms by Reuters and AAP.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The rationale and the consultation commitment are Hudson's own words in the company's statement, carried by Reuters, AAP and the Dow Jones report of the announcement.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: That the union made this claim, and that Qantas disputes it, is reported by the Guardian's coverage as carried in reporting of the announcement read for this story. Each side's position is carried as its own, not as a finding.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why it matters
It is one of the clearest cases yet of a major airline tying head-office job cuts directly to an AI-and-outsourcing programme — and the union's claim that it was assured the opposite makes the consultation a test of the airline's word.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
- Latest
Published — the cuts are confirmed by Qantas's own announcement to staff.