Geoff Collis, a pilot with over four decades of experience, has left his career in aviation due to mounting concerns about climate change. Collis, who had aspired to fly since childhood, decided to retrain as a baker after questioning the environmental justification for his profession.

Collis, in his 60s, spent 42 years in the airline industry, including a significant tenure with Jetstar. He recalled early awareness of the greenhouse effect in the 1980s but continued his career until the environmental impact became an overriding concern. "I was just looking at the amount of fuel I was ordering for each flight… and I thought, 'How can I justify continuing in this sort of role?'" he told the ABC, noting that his flights consumed approximately 2.4 million liters of jet fuel annually.

During a period of stand-down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Collis began an apprenticeship at Old Evropa Bakery in Eltham, Melbourne. Although he returned to piloting in 2023, he found he could no longer continue. "I started to realise that most of what [the industry] appeared to be doing [for climate change] was really just tokenism, spin and greenwashing," Collis stated.

He expressed disillusionment with the industry's assurances that climate change was being adequately addressed. "I tried to find out what the airline industry was doing to reinvent itself for a carbon constrained future and realised that my first love wasn't being entirely truthful to me," he told Flight Free Australia. Collis highlighted that while aircraft are becoming marginally more fuel-efficient, these gains are likely to be overshadowed by the emissions from planned industry growth. He also noted skepticism about the scalability of sustainable aviation fuels, given land and energy constraints.

Collis now works part-time as a baker. His decision was affirmed by finding Safe Landing, a group comprising current and former aviation workers who share similar climate concerns. "Knowing there are other people out there who came to the same conclusion as myself was reassuring and reaffirming," he said, adding that it alleviated any feeling of being an "oddball."

Despite his enduring passion for flying, Collis stated he has no regrets about pursuing a new path.