Qantas cuts 850 Australian jobs for AI upgrade with Accenture
Qantas is letting go of 850 staff in Australia and outsourcing some of those jobs to India as part of a tech upgrade using artificial intelligence (AI), teaming up with Accenture.
CEO Vanessa Hudson called the move tough but said it's not about how well people performed.
She promised open talks with staff and unions before anything is final.
Australian living costs climb, unemployment rises
This comes as living costs climb and unemployment hits its highest level in nearly five years in Australia.
Qantas isn't alone: other big companies like Canva and NAB are also cutting jobs lately.
Even with expensive jet fuel, Qantas has been dealing with rising jet fuel prices, with costs partially offset by ticket sales to new customers who switched to the airline after canceling flights at those with Middle East stopovers.
The hope is that these changes will help the airline run smoother long-term.