Qantas to cut 850 jobs and shift corporate operations to India in AI technology deal

Qantas Airways is cutting 850 Australian corporate jobs as it partners with consulting giant Accenture to shift major back-office functions to India and accelerate its integration of artificial intelligence.

The multi-year overhaul targets corporate roles across finance, procurement, human resources, and marketing. Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson told staff in an internal message that the changes will begin taking effect from mid-2027, with the majority of functions being transferred to Accenture's technology operations in India alongside a smaller proportion remaining in Australia.

Why Qantas is expanding in India

India has established itself as the premier global hub for enterprise digital transformation, offering unmatched scale in data analytics, cloud architecture, and artificial intelligence capabilities. Accenture maintains a workforce of more than 84,000 specialists in India, positioning the nation at the centre of global corporate modernisations.

Under the partnership, processes sent to India will be simplified, automated with AI tools, and re-integrated into Qantas operations to improve efficiency across the airline.

"I know this is hard news for some, and I'm sorry for the uncertainty it brings," Hudson said. She noted that Qantas spends more than AU$1bn annually on technology but relies on over 1,000 legacy applications built for a different era. Partnering with Accenture allows Qantas to access top-tier AI and data skills that the airline could not hire independently at the required pace.

Corporate restructuring in Australia

The Qantas announcement marks the third major corporate restructuring in Australia in recent weeks, as companies adjust to rising input costs and faster technology cycles.

Union response and consultation

The Australian Services Union expressed strong disappointment over the decision, with assistant national secretary Scott Cowen stating that sending jobs overseas broke faith with workers who kept the airline running. Cowen called on Qantas to provide details on remaining Australian roles and to offer retraining pathways.

Qantas rejected claims that it had promised to keep all back-office roles onshore. A company spokesperson confirmed Qantas had met with union representatives on several occasions to outline the potential shift to Accenture's teams in India and Australia. Qantas said affected staff will be consulted in the coming months and redeployed into alternative roles where possible.