Business · Companies · 3 hrs ago
Qantas to outsource 850 corporate roles, with most work moving to India
Qantas plans to outsource about 850 corporate roles under a new multi-year agreement with Accenture.
The changes will affect the Australian airline’s corporate teams, starting with finance, procurement, people and marketing.
Most of the services will move to Accenture teams in India, with some handled in Australia.
Qantas says the deal will update its back-end technology, including more than 1,000 older applications that were not designed to work together.
The airline says simpler systems will support greater use of automation and AI and help its corporate functions work more efficiently.
The first changes are expected by mid-2027, after Qantas consults affected employees and unions.
Qantas says it will redeploy staff where possible, while the Australian Services Union is seeking an explanation for the move offshore.
Qantas has hired Accenture under a multi-year agreement to modernise its IT systems and parts of its corporate functions, affecting about 850 roles.
Services are expected to move mostly to Accenture teams in India and some in Australia.
The first changes are expected by mid-2027, starting in functions including finance, procurement, people and marketing.
Qantas says it will consult affected employees and unions and seek to redeploy staff where possible.
The company says the work will be further transformed through automation and artificial intelligence.
- Who
- Qantas and Accenture. About 850 Qantas roles are affected.
- What
- Qantas is outsourcing some services and modernising its IT systems and corporate functions.
- When
- The agreement is multi-year, with the first changes expected by mid-2027.
- Where
- Services will move mostly to Accenture teams in India and some in Australia.
- Why
- Qantas says it wants to modernise its systems, simplify work and accelerate its use of automation and AI.
Qantas
Australian Services Union
Reason for the change
Qantas
Qantas says the agreement will modernise its systems and simplify corporate work.
Australian Services Union
The union is demanding an explanation for offshoring roles despite previous assurances Qantas would not do so.
Impact on employees
Qantas
Qantas says it will consult affected staff and unions and redeploy employees where possible.
Australian Services Union
The union says its members are affected and is meeting with Qantas staff.
Qantas' intent to engage Accenture in an outsourcing deal was first reported, according to iTnews.
Qantas announced its multi-year agreement with Accenture and said about 850 roles would be affected.
The Australian Services Union said it was meeting with Qantas members and demanded an explanation for offshoring roles.
The first wave of changes is expected to be in place.
- Roles affected
- About 850
- First changes expected
- Mid-2027
- Offshore destination
- Mostly Accenture teams in India
- Other service location
- Some Accenture teams in Australia
- Legacy applications
- More than 1,000
- Qantas staff
- About 28,000 in Australia and 4,000 globally
9 sources
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What people are saying
this is hard news for some and I'm sorry for the uncertainty it brings
The scale and speed of change in this space is unprecedented and unlike anything businesses have seen in generations,
Some of the services they provide will move to Accenture, delivered mostly by its teams in India and some in Australia, and in time be transformed further with automation and AI,
It will allow us to unlock innovation faster and accelerate our use of AI, with lasting benefits.