Qantas Airways
ASX:QANAustralia's largest airline. International and domestic flights.
Reported Offshore Headcount
400+
reported 27 Feb 2026
Estimated % of Workforce
~1.3%
illustrative — not directly reported by the company
Destination Countries
Modern slavery statement confirms: majority of contact centres are in the Philippines (Manila), with small onshore call centre in Gosford NSW. Offshore cabin crew bases in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia.
Financial Context
Market Cap
$12.5B
Revenue
$20.8B
Net Profit
$2.1B
Estimated Wage Differential
~$34M/yr
CEO — Vanessa Hudson
$4,400,000
56x avg Australian worker
Illustrative wage differential: if the 400+ reported offshore roles were instead employed in Australia at average local rates, the additional cost could be in the order of ~$34M/yr (~1.6% of reported net profit). This is an estimate based on industry averages, not company-specific data.
Would this company be profitable without offshoring?
Every dollar paid offshore leaves the Australian economy — reducing local wages, tax receipts, and economic circulation. Why it matters
Financial data: FY2024. Estimate uses avg AU employment cost of $110,000+/yr (incl. super and on-costs) vs offshore $25,000/yr (salary + on-costs). Actual figures vary by role, seniority, and location.
In Plain English
- In 2026, Qantas Airways was reported to have 400+ offshore contractors and staff.
- This represents ~1.3% when compared to its current workforce of 30,000 (illustrative comparison only — not directly reported by the company).
- 🇸🇬 400+ staff reported in Singapore in Other.
- Known outsourcing partners include Accenture, Deloitte.
- 5,000 Australian jobs have been cut.
Based on data from public sources at the dates reported. Figures may not reflect current headcount. See sources below for full attribution.
The Story
- 2015Qantas closed its Melbourne call centre, followed by its Brisbane call centre the following year. Around 450 full-time Australian jobs were lost. [CX Central]
- 2020Qantas cut 8,500 jobs across the airline during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ASU]
- 2021Qantas was ordered by the Federal Court to compensate 1,700 workers who were sacked and replaced with outsourced labour. The High Court later upheld the ruling. [Outsource Accelerator]
- 2023A data breach at Qantas was linked to a Manila-based call centre operation. [Unfair Dismissals Australia]
- 2023New CEO Vanessa Hudson said Qantas was reviewing its contact centres and "considering whether to bring more of this important task back onshore." [Australian Frequent Flyer]
- 2025Calls to Qantas and Qantas Frequent Flyer are answered in Australia or New Zealand. Emails and some back-office functions remain performed offshore through outsourcing partners. [Matchboard]
All facts sourced from public reporting. No editorial commentary. Click source links to verify.
Department Breakdown
| Department | Country | Headcount | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 400 | Confirmed |
Offshoring Timeline
| Date | Department | Country | Headcount | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun 2023 | Call Centre | 🇵🇭 Philippines | — | Confirmed |
| 30 Jun 2025 | Customer Support | 🇵🇭 Philippines | — | Estimated |
| 27 Feb 2026 | Other | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 400 | Confirmed |
Layoff Events
| Date | Headcount | Location | Department | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Feb 2014 | 5,000 | Australia | technology | Qantas announced 5,000 job cuts after $235M net loss. Outsources up to 80% of its IT operations. Part of $2B savings over 3 years. |
Consultancy Engagements
Other Transport Companies That Offshore
Other companies in transport with reported offshore operations.
| Company | ASX | Reported Offshore | Offshore Destinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transurban Group | TCL | 100+ | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
What Public Sources Say
All information below is sourced from publicly available documents and reporting. Excerpts are direct quotes. Click source links to verify.
“Data breach was said to be due to the offshoring of a Manila-based call center.”
“Some tasks including emails and some back-office functions are performed offshore through their outsourcing partners.”
“Qantas announced 5,000 job cuts after $235M net loss. Outsources up to 80% of its IT operations. Part of $2B savings over 3 years.”
This profile is based on publicly available information at the time of publication. It may not reflect current operations and should not be treated as a complete picture. We publish what we can verify — not everything that exists.
Is something wrong or missing? Submit a correction. We welcome input from companies, employees, and researchers.