Business

Qantas to hire 8,500 workers over next 10 years

Airline was criticised for cutting headcounts during the height of the pandemic

Qantas, Australia’s flag carrier, expects to create 8,500 new roles over the next decade as it rebuilds its workforce to cope with a rebound in travel. Photograph: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg

Fri Mar 3 2023 - 12:15

Qantas, Australia’s flag carrier, expects to create 8,500 new roles over the next decade as it rebuilds its workforce to cope with a rebound in travel.

The airline was criticised for cutting headcounts during the height of the pandemic when a collapse in tourism and the closure of Australia’s international and domestic borders left the business weeks away from bankruptcy.

Cuts to ground staff triggered a customer service crisis last year as tourism rebounded. The airline was forced to hire workers due to a spike in lost baggage levels and flight cancellations and delays.

Qantas said the new jobs pledge represented a signal that the aviation industry was moving into a growth phase.

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Overall, it expects to hire more than 30,000 frontline workers over the next 10 years but, accounting for attrition, that will leave the airline with about 32,000 workers.

That compares with about 23,500 in 2023 and takes its staffing levels back to the levels before pandemic lockdowns almost closed down the industry. It will add 2,000 roles in the next 18 months. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2023

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