Qantas Hands Accenture IT and Data Modernisation, 850 Roles Affected

Qantas will shift technology and corporate-function work to Accenture in a deal affecting about 850 roles over the coming years. Accenture will deliver services mostly from teams in India, with some in Australia. The first wave of changes is expected in place by mid-2027.

The airline said Accenture will "modernise its backend systems, processes and data". The services firm will also "redesign and simplify how parts of the group's corporate functions operate". Qantas stated some services "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".

What happens to the 850 affected roles?

Qantas said it "will consult with affected employees and their unions before individual outcomes are determined". Chief executive Vanessa Hudson said the airline will focus on redeployment, reskilling, retraining and ongoing support for affected employees.

Hudson said in a statement: "Fundamentally redesign how the work behind our airline gets done, so it is simpler, more connected and keeps getting better, with automation and AI built in from the start." She said that is the aim of the partnership.

The Australian Services Union said the first wave of impacted employees will sit in finance, procurement, people and marketing functions. The union is demanding an explanation from Qantas on why it is offshoring roles, despite previous assurances it would not do so. Union representatives were expected to meet Qantas staff later on the day of the announcement.

Qantas' intent to engage Accenture in an outsourcing deal was first reported in August. Internally, the work runs under the codename Project iq.

How much technical debt is being cleared?

Qantas said the agreement targets "decades" of technical debt, including more than 1000 legacy applications that were never designed to work together. The airline called modernising these systems and connecting data across them "the critical next step to remove complexity, unlock innovation and accelerate the group's use of AI".

"To deliver this, Accenture will invest upfront to accelerate the modernisation of the group's data platforms," Qantas said.

The carrier retains some onshore AI capability. Its innovation centre in Adelaide will ultimately house around 400 staff. Qantas said the "multi-year partnership" with Accenture "will help the group move faster and at greater scale than it could on its own".

What is the timeline?

Qantas has not disclosed the full contract value. It confirmed consultation with unions precedes any individual outcomes, and the first wave of changes arrives by mid-2027, with the 850-role impact unfolding over the coming years.