Qantas has set a clear path for the next two years as part of an ongoing transformation, covering its transition to cloud and optimising the digital customer experience.
In its full-year 2023 results, the airline said data and digitalisation will occupy 35 percent of its targeted $300 million cost and revenue transformation efforts over the next financial year.
Qantas plans to complete its IT cloud transition, add baggage tracking to its app amongst other features and boost functionality for charter and group bookings
It also intends to improve its revenue management system, digital-enabled additional revenue, and data-driven decision-making, including for aircraft maintenance.
The remaining parts of the transformation involve fleet renewals and network improvements (25 percent) and ways of working (40 percent), which it said will include virtual reality for cabin crew.
As the airline heads to FY25, it plans to build out its digital customer experience, drive operational efficiencies and continue enhancing its data-driven management capability.
Over the FY23 period its spending across technology and digital reached $89 million.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told investors it is “recruiting a significant amount of cabin crew and engineers”, but has no issue with finding enough pilots.
He also noted that customers had “stuck with” the airline, “even when we were a long way from delivering the service that they expected”.
He said issues impacting customer service had been resolved, and that the airline’s “return to profit also means we can make some important investments in their experience.”
“There’s a steady stream of short and long term projects happening across the group, all with a simple aim of making people’s journey a lot better.”
Qantas reported an underlying profit before tax of $2.47 billion and a statutory profit after tax of $1.74 billion.