Sydney, Australia: Qantas Group has entered into a multi year strategic partnership with Accenture to modernise its technology systems and expand its use of artificial intelligence, with around 850 roles expected to be affected over the coming years.
Under the agreement, some services currently handled within the airline’s corporate functions will move to Accenture. These services will be delivered mainly by Accenture teams in India, with some work remaining in Australia. The airline said the functions will be further transformed through automation and artificial intelligence over time.
Qantas said it would consult affected employees and their unions before individual outcomes are determined. The first wave of changes is expected to be in place by mid 2027.
The partnership is intended to simplify the Group’s corporate processes and modernise its technology infrastructure. Qantas said its operations currently rely on more than 1,000 legacy applications developed over several decades, many of which were not designed to work together.
The airline said connecting these systems and improving access to business data would help reduce complexity, support innovation and provide a foundation for wider use of artificial intelligence across its operations and customer services.
As part of the agreement, Accenture will make an upfront investment to accelerate the modernisation of Qantas Group’s data platforms. The airline said this work would support improvements across corporate functions, customer experience and operations.
Qantas currently invests more than $1 billion annually in technology. Its existing initiatives include a Product Innovation Centre in Adelaide, which is expected to grow to more than 400 roles, while thousands of employees are already using artificial intelligence tools in their daily work.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the partnership would help the airline modernise its processes and platforms, improve connectivity across its business and respond to rapid changes in technology.
The Group said it continues to employ around 28,000 people in Australia and has created more than 4,400 operational roles since 2023, including positions for pilots, cabin crew and engineers. It also expects to add thousands more roles in the coming years.
