Qantas to cut 500 Australian jobs

Last Updated: Mon, 21 May 2012 22:06:00 +1000

Qantas says it will slash 500 jobs as it consolidates its heavy maintenance work into two bases.

The Tullamarine maintenance facility in Melbourne will be closed, and work will be based at Brisbane and at Avalon, near Geelong in Victoria, following a review announced in February.

Qantas engineers have been called into meetings across the country, and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association says the workers will be told about the restructure plan.

The airline says the restructure is necessary as it does not have enough heavy maintenance work to justify keeping three separate facilities open.

The shake-up will mean the loss of 422 jobs at Tullamarine and 113 positions at Avalon, but Qantas says 30 new positions will be created in Melbourne and 5 in Sydney.

The airline says all heavy maintenance apprentices will be able to finish their apprenticeships.

Work at Tullamarine will end by August this year.

The airline will shift work on its fleet of Boeing 737s from Tullamarine to Brisbane, while work on 747s will continue at Avalon.

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