Qantas is deep in talks on Project iQ, an efficiency push that could see marketing, finance, human resources and other support functions partially offshored to India.
The airline is working with consulting firm Accenture on the plan, which is tied to a broader cost-cutting and operational overhaul using artificial intelligence.
People familiar with the discussions say up to 1000 roles are in scope, although the final number of job cuts is not locked in.
A decision on whether to proceed, and at what scale, is expected before the end of the year.
Project iQ is being driven from the top of the organisation, led by Qantas’ chief technology, AI and transformation office and involving the chief executive, chief financial officer and other senior executives.
The airline is exploring how AI tools and automation can take over routine back-office tasks that are currently handled in-house.
Those functions would be shifted to Accenture’s offshore operations, particularly in India where the consulting group runs large-scale technology and business process centres.
Qantas’ leadership sees the combination of offshoring and AI as a way to strip out costs while reshaping how corporate support teams work.
Qantas says it is focused on using new technology to modernise its operations and improve outcomes for both customers and staff.
The airline is positioning AI as central to that shift, as a cost-cutting lever and as a way to redesign processes that have built up over decades.
Any move to send hundreds of roles offshore is likely to attract close attention from employees and unions, which have previously criticised large-scale outsourcing.
The key tension now sits between Qantas’ drive for efficiency and the potential impact on its Australian workforce as Project iQ moves toward a decision.
