The Qantas Group is taking a bold step towards shaping the future of Australian aviation, announcing a significant investment of over $40 million to drive advancements across safety training, pilot development, and cutting-edge ground training facilities. This ambitious initiative will not only benefit the airline but also propel the wider aviation industry forward.
One of the most groundbreaking aspects of this investment is the creation of the Qantas Group Safety Academy, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Australia. Developed in collaboration with Griffith University and RMIT University, the Academy aims to provide comprehensive safety credentials, empowering professionals and nurturing future leaders in safety across various industries.
Starting in 2025, the Academy will offer micro-credentials in critical areas such as safety culture, risk management, data analysis, cyber safety, and human factors like sleep and fatigue management. These courses will be accessible online through both universities or on-campus at RMIT, potentially counting towards other postgraduate qualifications. By 2026, the Academy’s programs will expand to offer fully accredited postgraduate degrees and advanced research opportunities through the establishment of a Centre of Safety Excellence.
To accommodate the Qantas Group’s expanding fleet and workforce, the airline is investing heavily in state-of-the-art training infrastructure. Over $40 million will be allocated towards new training assets and facilities nationwide, including the construction of a dedicated ground training center in Sydney.
Scheduled to open in mid-2026 at Qantas’ Mascot campus, the Sydney Ground Training Facility will become the central hub for emergency procedures training. More than 5,000 pilots and cabin crew from Qantas, Jetstar, and QantasLink will undergo training here annually. The facility will be equipped with cutting-edge technology, featuring door trainers, virtual reality spaces, a narrow-body cabin trainer, and new classrooms. In addition to Sydney, Qantas will open a new ground training facility in Perth by mid-2025, and modernize existing training centers in Brisbane and Melbourne with enhanced emergency procedure training tools.
To promote diversity and inclusion in the aviation sector, the Qantas Group will double its scholarships for female students and Indigenous Australians at its Pilot Academy in Toowoomba, starting in 2025. Twenty scholarships, valued at up to $30,000 each, will be available to support accommodation and living expenses, with additional tuition costs covered separately. Since its opening in 2020, the Academy has already witnessed over 400 graduates contributing to both the Qantas Group and the broader aviation sector. Women represent 20% of graduates, exceeding the global average of 4% female commercial airline pilots, with the Qantas Group boasting a higher representation at 7%.
The Qantas Group’s multi-million-dollar investment in education, training facilities, and scholarships reflects its unwavering commitment to ensuring Australia remains at the forefront of global aviation. By investing in safety leadership, cutting-edge training technology, and pilot diversity, Qantas is not only bolstering its workforce but also setting new industry standards for safety and inclusion. This comprehensive strategy will pave the way for a bright future for Australian aviation, creating a pipeline of highly skilled professionals poised to lead the industry forward.
“Safety and training have been ingrained in Qantas’ DNA since our first flight in 1922,” said Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson. “With a historic fleet renewal program underway, we have over a hundred new aircraft on order for Qantas and Jetstar, each representing a growth opportunity for our people and the broader industry.”
“Our people have always been recognized for their high standards of safety and training, and this is the foundation of the investment we’re making in the future of Australian aviation and other industries. Our multi-million-dollar training investment ensures new facilities and state-of-the-art equipment across Australia to train our current pilots and cabin crew, as well as the thousands of crew expected to join the Qantas Group over the next decade.”
“The new Qantas Group Safety Academy will help upskill a generation of safety and risk professionals, leveraging Qantas’s century of practical experience with safety leadership and the academic expertise of RMIT and Griffith University. As we train the next generation of pilots, we want to ensure we’re reaching a broader and more diverse talent base, which is why we’re expanding our scholarship program for the Qantas Group Pilot Academy,” added Ms Hudson.
Dean (Academic) in the Griffith Sciences Group, Professor Rosalind Archer: “Griffith is an industry leader in the area of safety science, offering a combination of leadership, science, and social science across a multidisciplinary and multi-industry platform. This is not a cookie-cutter approach to safety science, but micro-credentials with depth, providing a postgraduate learning environment for professionals who want to advance their careers and take the next step.”
RMIT Aviation Academy Director Lea Vesic said: “RMIT’s partnership with Qantas is a testament to the quality of our training and leadership – not just in producing job-ready graduates but fostering collaboration across the sector. The new Qantas Safety Academy will utilize our training expertise to build a pipeline of safety leaders who possess a broad set of critical skills. These types of industry partnerships and innovative training delivery will become even more crucial as we strive to futureproof the aviation industry in Australia.”
