Qantas to Move 850 Jobs to Accenture in India Outsourcing Deal

Australian airline Qantas plans to restructure around 850 corporate roles and outsource parts of its finance, procurement, human resources and marketing operations to Accenture, with most of the transferred work expected to be delivered from India.

The changes form part of a new multi-year partnership with the global consulting and technology services company, as Qantas seeks to modernise its back-end systems, simplify corporate processes and expand its use of automation and artificial intelligence (AI).

The first changes are expected to take effect by mid-2027, with the restructuring continuing over several years. Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson told employees that affected staff would be consulted and that the airline would seek to redeploy people into other positions where possible, including new roles in Australia.

The airline employs approximately 28,000 people in Australia and another 4,000 internationally. The 850 positions represent about 3% of its Australian workforce.

Finance, procurement, HR and marketing among affected functions

The first phase of the restructuring will cover finance, procurement, people and marketing functions. Some services currently performed by Qantas employees will move to Accenture, with most of the work expected to be handled by the consultancy’s teams in India and some in Australia.

In an internal communication to employees, Hudson described the announcement as difficult news for affected staff and said the company understood the uncertainty created by the changes.

Qantas said individual employment outcomes had not yet been determined. It plans to consult employees and unions over the coming months, while exploring redeployment opportunities and other support measures.

The arrangement is not limited to transferring existing work to an external provider. Qantas and Accenture also intend to redesign parts of the airline’s corporate operations, reduce duplication and simplify processes.

Legacy technology systems drive Qantas modernisation plan

A central part of the agreement is the modernisation of Qantas’s technology infrastructure.

Hudson said the airline spends more than A$1 billion annually on technology and operates more than 1,000 legacy applications that were developed over several decades and were not designed to work together.

The company wants to simplify this technology environment, connect data across its systems and improve the way corporate functions operate. The partnership with Accenture is intended to accelerate this programme and provide access to technology and data expertise.

Qantas said services transferred to Accenture would be further transformed through automation and AI over time. The stated objective is to reduce repetitive processes and duplication while improving the efficiency of corporate operations.

The development reflects a broader change in enterprise outsourcing. Companies are increasingly combining business-process outsourcing with technology implementation, data integration and automation rather than simply transferring administrative activities to lower-cost locations.

Accenture’s India operations gain a larger role

India is expected to handle most of the services transferred under the Qantas agreement, reinforcing the country’s position as a major delivery location for multinational companies’ technology and corporate operations.

The work initially covers functions such as finance, procurement, human resources and marketing. These activities are commonly included in global business services and shared-services models, where companies consolidate processes across locations and use specialist providers to manage delivery.

For Accenture, the partnership creates an opportunity to support a large airline’s enterprise transformation programme. The scope includes process redesign and technology modernisation, alongside the delivery of corporate services.

However, Qantas has not disclosed a detailed breakdown of how many of the 850 affected roles will be transferred to India, how many will be handled in Australia or how the work will be divided between Accenture and the airline after the transition.

The number of positions affected should therefore not be interpreted as an exact count of jobs being created in India. The announcement identifies the scale of the Australian roles affected, but does not provide a corresponding employment figure for Accenture’s Indian operations.

Union raises concerns over offshoring and employee consultation

The Australian Services Union has criticised the proposed restructuring and called on Qantas to explain the changes to its workforce.

The union has said it wants more information about which positions will be eliminated or transferred, how many jobs will remain in Australia and what retraining and redeployment opportunities will be available to affected employees.

It has also questioned the airline’s earlier communications about the possibility of moving work offshore. Qantas has disputed the union’s account, saying it had discussed the potential for some roles to move to Accenture teams in India and Australia during previous discussions.

The consultation process is expected to be important in determining the final impact on employees. Qantas has said it will consider redeployment, reskilling and retraining, as well as support for workers whose positions are affected.

Airline faces wider cost and technology pressures

The outsourcing announcement comes as Qantas manages higher fuel expenses and continues to adjust its operations.

In a market update issued on 6 November, the airline forecast first-half financial-year 2027 fuel costs of approximately A$3.75 billion. It said it would continue to adjust fares and capacity in response to elevated fuel prices. The group also expects to remain approximately 85% hedged for FY27.

The fuel-cost pressure is a separate issue from the Accenture agreement. Qantas has presented the outsourcing partnership primarily as a technology modernisation and corporate efficiency programme, rather than identifying fuel expenses as the reason for the job changes.

The airline is also pursuing a major fleet renewal programme and broader technology investment. Modernising its systems and connecting data across corporate functions could support changes to planning, procurement, customer operations and internal decision-making.

What the Qantas outsourcing deal means for the services industry

The agreement highlights the evolving role of Indian delivery centres in global business operations. Finance, procurement, human resources and marketing services are increasingly being combined with enterprise technology upgrades and automation programmes.

For outsourcing providers, this creates opportunities to move beyond traditional back-office processing towards integrated technology and business transformation contracts. However, the extent of the commercial opportunity will depend on the services covered, contract value, delivery arrangements and the pace of implementation.

For Qantas employees, the immediate issue remains the future of the 850 affected roles and the outcome of consultations. For the wider aviation sector, the agreement provides another example of how airlines are reviewing corporate structures and legacy technology as they respond to changing operational and digital requirements.

The first changes are expected by mid-2027, leaving several months for consultation and planning. The longer-term impact will depend on how Qantas and Accenture divide responsibilities, how many employees can be redeployed and how quickly the airline can modernise its technology and processes.

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