The NSW Government has signed a deal with Qantas to keep its global headquarters in Sydney, supporting the creation of 2,500 jobs and generating more than $300 million in economic benefits for the State.
Following an in-principle agreement in May, thousands of new and existing jobs have been secured and Sydney is locked in as the exclusive launch city for non-stop flights between global cities, including London and New York.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the deal secures Sydney’s place as a global travel hub and brings new jobs to the state as the economy recovers from the pandemic.
“All over the world, when people think of visiting Australia it’s Sydney and our state that they dream about experiencing,” Mr Perrottet said.
“It’s right that our national carrier is headquartered here. We know how difficult the pandemic has been for the travel and tourism industry.
“Our Government is supporting them to bring back thousands of jobs and take to the skies.”
Treasurer Matt Kean said the long-term deal secures valuable investment in NSW as we continue to open up to the rest of the world.
“The Qantas deal is a vote of confidence in our State as we bounce back from COVID-19, and continue to get our people back into jobs and planes back in the air,” Mr Kean said.
“Sydney remains Australia’s business capital and a runway to the rest of the world, with this deal securing the future of our aviation industry.”
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said keeping our national carrier in Sydney sends the right message to business and tourists as we reopen.
“Our agreement with Qantas will help secure 2,500 new full time jobs over the next five years, which is great news for the aviation industry as it looks to bounce back following an extremely challenging couple of years,” Mr Ayres said.
“This is a major boost to the State, securing Sydney as the nation’s exclusive hub for non-stop flights to some of the world’s most popular destinations.”
The agreement also confirmed:
- The construction of a new Flight Training Centre with aircraft simulators in NSW.
- Plans for expansion of the Qantas Loyalty team in Mascot.
- A commitment from Qantas to deliver improved Indigenous and diversity employment outcomes in its NSW workforce over the next five years.
Based in Sydney since 1938, Qantas currently employs more than 3,000 people at its headquarters, a figure that will increase as NSW and Australia continues to reopen to the world and the aviation sector continues its rebound.
