Qantas to split domestic, international businesses

Sydney: Qantas Airways has announced plans to separate its domestic airline business from its loss-making international operations.

The announcement came on Tuesday, a day after the Australian flagship carrier announced it was eliminating 500 heavy maintenance jobs.

Qantas' domestic and international operations will be headed by separate chief executives and independently managed starting July 1.

CEO Alan Joyce said the management changes "were made in recognition of the different challenges facing the airline's domestic and international arms."

Qantas has faced strong competition at home from Virgin Australia while Qantas International lost 216 million Australian dollars in its last financial year amid competition and high costs.