Qantas Opens Singapore Crew Base in 2026
Qantas Airways will open its first overseas cabin crew base in Singapore in September 2026, marking a major step in the airline’s international expansion and reinforcing its presence at one of Asia’s busiest aviation hubs.
The Australian flag carrier plans to recruit 120 cabin crew members in the first year, with the Singapore base expected to grow to around 650 staff within five years. Roles will be open exclusively to Singapore citizens and permanent residents, with job listings scheduled to go live on February 27, 2026.
According to Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace, establishing a crew base in Singapore will improve operational efficiency across the airline’s expanding long-haul network and enable faster responses to disruptions. Singapore-based crew will operate flights between Singapore and Australia, where Qantas currently runs nonstop services to Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Darwin, averaging around 50 weekly flights.
The move further strengthens Qantas’ position in Singapore, which has become its largest overseas hub. Over recent years, the airline has steadily increased capacity and connectivity through the city-state as part of its broader international growth strategy.
From December 7, 2026, Qantas will almost double Airbus A380 operations on the Singapore–Sydney route. The increase will boost premium seat capacity by 18% across 13 weekly services, aligning with the launch of the new cabin crew base and supporting higher-frequency operations on a key long-haul corridor.
The Singapore base will open as Jetstar Airways closes its own cabin crew base in the city. While Jetstar will continue flying to Singapore, it is restructuring its crew model as part of wider cost and efficiency measures. Around 50 Singapore-based Jetstar cabin crew are expected to be offered roles with the new Qantas base. Former cabin crew from Jetstar Asia, which ceased operations in July 2025, will also be eligible to apply.
The initiative forms part of the Qantas Group’s broader workforce expansion strategy, which targets the creation of 8,500 new jobs across Australia by 2030. Plans include hiring an additional 3,500 cabin crew and more than 1,000 pilots as Qantas and Jetstar continue to add aircraft and expand route networks.
Separately, Jetstar will open a new cabin crew base in Perth in late 2026, creating 90 roles to support domestic and regional international operations from Western Australia.
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