Qantas opens Adelaide product innovation centre, plans 400 tech roles

Qantas has opened a Product Innovation Center in Adelaide, South Australia, grouping the airline's technology product development teams in one location as it builds more digital tools and AI-driven customer services in-house.

The centre sits in the Adelaide CBD. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas attended the official opening alongside Qantas Group Chief Technology, AI and Transformation Officer Rachel Yangoyan.

Product managers, digital experience designers, software engineers, and data and AI specialists will be based there. Their work is focused on how customers deal with the airline across their journey.

A pilot team began in temporary space in March 2026 before moving into the new building. Since then it has worked on real-time customer feedback tools and digital experiences that use AI built with Qantas' own data, which the airline says lets it test, prototype and resolve customer issues faster.

The first 50 employees are already working from the offices, and Qantas is recruiting for 40 more roles. The carrier expects the centre to reach more than 400 digital and technology positions within three years, with backing from the South Australian government.

Yangoyan said South Australia suited the airline's long-term technology plans, pointing to the city's universities, its technology community and room to expand in-house capability. She said the centre is already helping Qantas draw on local talent to build more personalised travel experiences for the millions of customers who fly with it each year.

Malinauskas also commented on the decision to open what the airline describes as its first Product Innovation Center.