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Distinguished aviation journalist and former Australian Aviation contributor Geoffrey Thomas has died at age 74 after a brief illness.
Thomas, who served as part-time airlines editor at Australian Aviation between 2005 and 2018 and went on to found Airlineratings.com, was also a prolific aviation commentator and wrote on the sector for outlets including The West Australian, Business News and Asian Airlines & Aerospace.
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He died in Perth on 3 June surrounded by friends and family, and his funeral will be held at Karrakatta Cemetery on 17 June. He is survived by his wife Christine and two children.
“Geoffrey’s contribution to both Australian Aviation (big ‘A’) and Australian aviation (small ‘a’) was immense. As a passionate and prolific contributor to AA, both through his ‘Contrails’ opinion column and feature articles, I had the privilege of working closely with GT for many years,” said former Australian Aviation editor Gerard Frawley.
“Through these contributions to AA, plus the many other aviation titles he wrote for, he both informed and shaped the aviation industry in Australian and beyond over a career spanning decades.
“And while he should be remembered for that incredible legacy, more importantly for those that knew him he’ll be remembered for his generosity of spirit, warmth and humour. A true giant. Thank you, GT.”
Amanda Bolger, former media manager for Qantas and Virgin Blue, told The Australian that he was “so much more” than an aviation commentator.
“A true gentleman, generous in sharing his wisdom, a charming, entertaining global travel buddy, always up for a laugh and adventure, usually involving aeroplanes,” she said.
“But most of all he was a steadfastly loyal, supportive and loving friend, always in my corner gently nudging me in the right direction.”
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has also mourned Thomas’ death as “a major loss for Australian aviation”.
“Geoffrey was a prominent journalist and commentator whose love of aviation was evident in his stories, interviews and books,” CASA said on LinkedIn.
“His work on a local, Australian and international level over more than 50 years helped further the understanding of our industry and his contribution will be missed. All of us at CASA extend our condolences to his family and friends.”
Thomas was honoured with 47 journalism awards over the course of his career, co-wrote 17 books, and was recognised for his investigative reporting into the MH370 disaster.
He was named Australasian Aviation Journalist of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2011, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Aeronautical Society in London in 2018.
Australian Aviation extends our condolences to his loved ones, and he will be missed by all of us in the aviation and journalism communities.
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