Qantas has revealed plans to outsource ground handling at major Australian airports, including Sydney and Melbourne, as well as at larger regional airports.

The plans will likely cut 2,500 jobs across Qantas and its budget airline Jetstar, on top of the 6,000 job cuts already announced in June this year. The roles include baggage handlers, tug drivers and cabin cleaners.

The airline said the work was already being outsourced in smaller airports around the country. It said it believed it could save $100 MN a year by extending the arrangement to major airports.

Qantas's domestic Chief Executive Andrew David said the airline was grappling with "the greatest challenge the aviation industry has ever faced" as coronavirus-related travel restrictions continued to bite.

"Airlines have to change how they operate to ensure they can survive long-term," he said. He further stated “Today's announcement will be very tough for our hard-working teams, most of whom have already been stood down for months without work.

Over the next few months Qantas will look to outsource its ground-crew work at 10 airports — Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Townsville.

Jetstar has already decided to outsource work at Adelaide, Avalon, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne and Sydney domestic airports.

Earlier in June, the airline announced that it will sack 6,000 people and continue to stand down half its 30,000-strong workforce as it struggles to cope with the continuing shutdown of the airline sector amid the coronavirus crisis.