Emirates has confirmed it will close its only Australian call centre next month, leaving more than 80 employees out of a job.
A spokesperson for the airline told Travel Weekly that a total of 82 staff will be affected by the closure of the Melbourne call centre, which will occur on 15 October.
The spokesperson said the decision was made “after careful review of our global call centre operations to optimise resources and meet our future business requirements”.
“This move very much reflects the shift in consumer behaviour, as our customers increasingly prefer to interact, transact and self-serve via other digital channels,” they said.
“We are providing our affected colleagues with all possible support, including counselling and redeployment opportunities in Australia or in other countries.
“There is no impact on our customers in Australia, as existing hotlines will continue to be supported 24/7 by our other multi-lingual call centre teams around the world.”
The call centre joins a number of other Emirates offices that have been given the axe this year, including its Melbourne ticketing office, as well as city offices in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, according to Airline Ratings.
