SYDNEY, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Qantas said on Tuesday it would cut 850 jobs in Australia and outsource some corporate functions to consulting firm Accenture as it adapts to the increased use of artificial intelligence in the airline industry.
The first phase of the cuts would affect finance, procurement, human resources and marketing staff. Some roles would be shifted to Accenture and performed by teams that would be "mostly" based in India, the airline said.
In an email to staff, Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson said the jobs would be cut "over the coming years", with the first round to happen by mid-2027.
"Today we're announcing a new multi-year partnership with Accenture and changes that will affect parts of our corporate functions."
"I know this is hard news for some, and I'm sorry for the uncertainty it brings."
The cuts affect around 3% of Qantas' Australian workforce of 28,000.
Qantas is the latest in a growing number of big Australian companies to offshore workers in a bid to cut costs and improve efficiency. Woolworths, Officeworks, Telstra and National Australia Bank have announced similar moves this year.
The airline, Australia's flag carrier, said the move was in response to rapid changes in the industry due to AI.
"The scale and speed of change in technology and AI is something none of us has seen in our lifetime," Hudson said.
"Standing still is not an option for us."
The partnership with Accenture would help Qantas "redesign and simplify parts of how our corporate functions work and reduce duplication," she said.
(Reporting by Christine Chen; Editing by John Mair)