CANBERRA - Australian carrier Qantas will cut 400 jobs at its heavy maintenance base near Melbourne airport and 660 workers at another base are also at risk, media reports said on Tuesday.

A Qantas spokeswoman confirmed a review of the carrier's three existing heavy maintenance bases in Australia had been carried out but would not comment on how many jobs might be cut as a result.

The Herald Sun newspaper said Qantas, Australia's biggest airline, has found its main Tullamarine base in Melbourne, the capital of southern Victoria state, must close within months.

Another similar one at Qantas's budget carrier Jetstar's homebase at Avalon Airport, also in Victoria, will not be viable beyond two years, it said.

The airline has three maintenance bases in Australia, with the other in northeastern Queensland state.

The recent review found it does not need three separate operations, the Qantas spokeswoman told Reuters.

"The significant reduction of maintenance required on our aircraft means we do not need three separate maintenance bases,"she said.

"We haven't confirmed how many jobs will be cut," she said.

Qantas is considering various options at this stage and expects to make a decision by mid-May, the spokeswoman said.

The airline has suffered industrial disputes due to job cuts in recent years.

Planes were grounded during one dispute last year, leaving more than 70,000 passengers stranded.