Flight Centre’s corporate division delivered record half-year results as productivity gains, automation and lower staffing levels drove accelerated profit growth.
The division was easily the standout performer of the period, posting record total transaction value (TTV) while benefiting from efficiency improvements and technology investments. TTV per full-time employee rose 13 per cent year-on-year, with productivity across the group now exceeding $1 million per employee.
Corporate CEO Chris Galanty said staffing reductions had contributed to the gains.
“We are seeing gains already due to staff numbers consistently coming down this year as revenue and transactions grow,” he told investors on a call today.
Flight Centre’s total staff numbers fell to 12,147 FTE in December 2025, down from 12,499 in 2024 and 12,931 in 2023, signalling continued workforce reductions despite remaining above pre-recovery levels in 2022 (12,135) and 2021 (9,870).
Galanty added that the business is increasingly able to “win more business with less staff”, with automation enabling customers to complete more tasks themselves. He said there is “more to come” when asked whether productivity gains would continue to drive profit growth, but did not specify whether this would come from further efficiencies or revenue expansion.
The corporate division now accounts for more than half of Flight Centre’s total TTV, underscoring how technology is reshaping the company’s earnings mix.
In contrast, the leisure division has taken a different approach, hiring around 100 additional staff to improve performance, according to global leisure CEO James Kavanagh. However, he noted employee benefits were not increasing at the same pace as TTV, which rose 10 per cent during the period.
Despite the focus on efficiency, executives emphasised that technology is intended to support – not replace – staff.
“We believe in people and technology,” Galanty said during the presentation.
FCM global chief operating officer, Melissa Elf said investments in AI-enabled tools are streamlining processes and allowing consultants to focus on complex, higher-value work rather than routine transactions.
“This result isn’t about working people harder; it’s about working smarter. Productivity is the standout story,” she said in a statement.
Kavanagh added that leisure consultants are increasingly concentrating on high-value clients and premium products such as cruise and luxury travel, noting that the Ignite Travel Group generated $50 million in cruise sales in January alone, compared to $19 million for the entire year in 2019.
He also said behavioural data and expanded digital content are improving conversion rates, with around 50 per cent of Flight Centre products now purchased online.
CEO and founder Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner said the company will continue investing in physical stores in areas where it sees growth opportunities, despite the shift toward digital channels.
In September last year, Flight Centre confirmed redundancies within its IT division. Whether further workforce changes will follow as automation accelerates remains unclear.
Results: Flight Centre bets big on business as corporate becomes largest contributor to TTV
