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Qantas keeps key NSW, Qld, Vic facilities

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Qantas says it will continue to have a strong presence in NSW, QLD and Victoria, after a review.
Camera IconQantas says it will continue to have a strong presence in NSW, QLD and Victoria, after a review. Credit: AP

Qantas will keep its global headquarters in Sydney and maintain its Jetstar hub in Melbourne after reviewing the cost of its facilities across Australia.

The review began after the national carrier reported a huge $2.7 billion loss for 2019/20 due to border closures and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, Qantas said it would continue to have a "strong presence" in NSW, Queensland and Victoria, easing concerns in those states of possible job losses.

The Sydney global HQ employs more than 3500 people and more than 750 work at the Jetstar HQ in Melbourne.

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Jetstar is relocating some heavy maintenance on its Airbus A320 fleet from Singapore to Brisbane as part of a trial in 2021, with the potential for this to be extended.

The airline will also expand line maintenance engineering in Melbourne.

And Sydney will become the launch city for non-stop flights to New York and London under Qantas' Sunrise project and will host a new flight training centre from 2023.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said this signalled Sydney remained Australia's business capital and "doorway to the world".

The Qantas HQ has been in Sydney since 1938.

The Victorian government said Qantas' decision on the Jetstar operations and engineering expansion will mean at least an extra 300 jobs and boost gross state output by about $140 million.

"Reviewing our property footprint became part of our recovery program," CEO Alan Joyce said on Thursday.

"Ultimately, our recovery program is about putting us in a position to grow again, which is when the benefits to each state will really flow."

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