Qantas has laid its cards on the table, and now the company boss will meet with unions to discuss plans to cut thousands of workers.

The Australian airline is in dire straits, and must not cut deep into its staff and services to make ends meet.

Qantas will cut 5,000 jobs in hopes of saving $2 billion, as well as reducing some routes and possibly retiring the Boeing 747 from its fleet.

In an extraordinarily rare event, job cut estimates in media reports were lower than the reality announced on Thursday this week.

Early reports say 1,500 jobs will be cut in management and non-operational duties, as well as around 300 engineering jobs from sites around the country.

But the exact shape of the cuts will be determined in talks starting today, as Qantas boss Alan Joyce meets with unions representing employees from pilots to baggage handlers.

All staff face a nervous wait to see if their jobs will remain when the dust settles.

Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) secretary Dave Oliver says unions’ first question will be to find out where the cuts are coming from.

“I think it's premature to talk about industrial action at this stage. We want commitments from Qantas that they are going to share all the relevant information,” he said.

The workers’ representative will want to work down the estimated amount of cuts.

“I don't think it's proper that Alan Joyce should stand up to the world and say they've got to get $2 billion of savings and [cut] 5,000 jobs.”

“It's easier for him to start bandying around numbers, but what we're talking about is 5,000 livelihoods.”

Mr Joyce told the ABC last night that Australia needs Qantas.

“Having a national airline is a national interest. We've rescued Australians in Egypt and Bali - we are there at times of Defence needs and there is a national interest for us,” he said.

“I don't think that there's anybody that can assume that the environment is going to be guaranteed, that all of those jobs can be protected indefinitely in the future, because there's a lot of issues outside of our control about how that can develop.”

In the political arena, the LNP continues to push for the removal of the Qantas Sales Act but has held off on moves to prop up the airline with its own money.

Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer says the other parties appear to disagree.

“I've asked them what their views are and they all agree that Qantas should remain an Australian airline, and that's 100 per cent support across the board from our senators,” he said.

“Unless the Greens and ALP have a contrary view, I can't see it getting through the Senate.”

Federal Government frontbencher Christopher Pyne has placed the decision on the shoulders of the Labor party.

“Qantas has to be freed from the shackles of not being able to have that level of foreign investment, but also they have to have their tax burden reduced now,” Mr Pyne told Channel Nine.

“Labor could do both those things tomorrow and we wouldn't need Clive Palmer.

“If they don't, then Labor's quite content to see Qantas go under rather than do the things they know could be done right now to save Qantas.”