Qantas evaluates moving up to 1,000 roles to India

Australian airline Qantas is weighing a plan, dubbed Project iQ, to offshore as many as 1,000 back‑office positions—including marketing, finance and human‑resources jobs—to India in partnership with consulting firm Accenture. The airline says it is exploring ways to use technology and artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and cut costs, but no formal agreement has been reached and a final decision is expected later this year.

CEO Vanessa Hudson highlighted the growing importance of AI for the carrier, noting recent investments such as a new product‑innovation centre in Adelaide and a reduction of up to 400 senior roles in its headquarters. The proposal follows earlier disputes with the Australian Services Union over job security linked to technology‑driven cuts.

If implemented, the move would shift a significant portion of Qantas’ support functions abroad while the airline continues to add thousands of operational roles, including pilots and engineers, in Australia.