Veteran aviation journalist Geoffrey Thomas (aka GT), the Perth-based expert commentator who became a familiar face to Australians during the MH370 and MH17 tragedies, has died aged 74 after a short heart-related illness.
After more than 50 years of explaining aviation to the world, one of its great storytellers has taken his final flight, and the industry he loved (and who loved him) is in mourning.
When an aircraft went missing, a route opened, or an airline stumbled, it was Thomas that the world’s newsrooms hurriedly called first.
The Perth-based journalist, who died on Tuesday, was sought out by media organisations around the world, from CNN and the BBC to ABC and Bloomberg, whenever aviation made headlines.
His fearless expertise was never in greater demand than in 2014, when he became one of the faces of news coverage during the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean, and the downing of MH17 over eastern Ukraine months later.
Over his stellar career, Thomas reported on every corner of the aviation industry, serving as a contributor and aviation editor at The West Australian since 1975, and as the paper’s aviation editor from 1996 to 2023. He was also a regular fixture on Channel Seven’s Sunrise, where his plain-spoken reads on safety, fares and incidents captivated a mainstream audience.
Beyond Perth, Thomas served as chief editor of US trade title Air Transport World and was the founding editor-in-chief of airline safety and product rating site Airlineratings.com, which he led for a decade.
He had remained prolific to the end, building his Airline News with Geoffrey Thomas YouTube channel to around 41,000 subscribers with daily news, analysis and flight reviews, and still returning to MH370, the disappearance that had defined his career and that he never stopped chasing.
He was named Australasian Aviation Journalist of the Year four times, in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2011, and collected 47 international and national awards across his career, among them a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2018 and an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2020 for his MH370 coverage.
Thomas traced his first connection to aviation back to 1970, when he worked as a “dispatch officer, purser and loader” for MacRobertson Miller Airlines across Port Hedland, Tom Price and Exmouth.
In one of his last videos, posted on 24 May, Thomas spoke candidly about his recent health journey. He used the moment to thank the thousands who had sent well-wishes, an outpouring that surprised and humbled a man far more comfortable reporting the story than being it.
Tributes flow from across the global aviation world
Richard Godfrey, an independent aircraft investigator whose work centres on major aviation disasters, and a close friend and YouTube co-host, said he was devastated by the news.
“Geoffrey was a great man, and I have lost a good friend. I am devastated by the news of his passing, and my heart goes out to his wife Christine and his family.
“He knew the aviation industry inside out and built a huge aviation community on Daily Airline News. He will be sorely missed,” Godfrey said.
Perth Observatory, in its own tribute, described Thomas as one of the most respected and recognisable voices in aviation journalism and singled out his generosity as much as his expertise.
“Geoffrey was simply a wonderful person. Generous with his time, encouraging to aspiring journalists, and always willing to share his knowledge, he left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to meet him. In an industry built around connecting people across vast distances, Geoffrey connected people through his storytelling, insight, and enthusiasm.”
Amanda Bolger, General Manager of Global PR & Communications at Luxury Escapes and former Head of PR and Publicity at The Qantas Group, said, “GT was the aviation industry’s ultimate Top Gun journalist, a respected commentator, a walking encyclopedia of airline and aircraft knowledge, and a passionate advocate for an industry to which he dedicated his life.
“Whether he was travelling the global airshow circuit, joining delivery flights to collect new aircraft from Boeing or Airbus facilities, or taking part in historic milestones such as the inaugural Perth-to-London flight, GT’s curiosity for aviation and its next generation of innovations was insatiable. We were all fortunate to be swept along by his enthusiasm.
“He was generous with his expertise, but even more generous in encouraging and mentoring anyone who shared his love of aviation, myself included,” she said.
“His loss is being felt across every corner of the industry, by airline crews who loved having him on board and reading his latest musings, aircraft manufacturer executives, industry leaders, his many media colleagues, and travel industry friends, but most profoundly by his much-loved family, especially his wife, Christine.
“GT leaves behind a remarkable legacy, a life exceptionally well lived, and an industry that is unquestionably better for having had him in it. What I wouldn’t give for one last hug and a glass of First Class champagne with him. Loved and remembered always,” said Bolger.
At Karryon, we knew that side of him well, too. I was privileged to share a number of launch flights with GT and Bolger over the years, travelling together on the delivery of Qantas’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner from The Boeing factory in Seattle, and, more recently, the unveiling of a new Qantas aircraft at Uluru.
On every trip, he was always a gentleman: warm, unfailingly kind and endlessly, infectiously excited about flight and, of course, openly sharing the kind of in-depth details only a man of his stature could evaluate.
Thomas is survived by his wife Christine and their children. A funeral service is expected to be held at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth on Wednesday, 17 June.
Perth Observatory closed its tribute with a line that fit the man: “Blue skies and tailwinds, Geoffrey.”
Blue skies and tailwinds indeed to you, Geoffrey. May you fly high and rest in peace, sir.
