Aussie pilot quits his job after more than 40 years to become a baker due to climate change fears: 'How can I justify this?'

Published: 04:29, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 04:46, 17 August 2026 A former Jetstar pilot has revealed how he became so concerned about climate change he decided to quit his job after 42 years in the industry and become a baker.  Geoff Collis, in his 60s, had always wanted to fly since the age of 10 and spent over four decades in the air despite hearing about 'the greenhouse effect' in the 1980s. As information on the issue became more widespread, he began questioning whether his lifelong passion for planes was enough to outweigh the environmental impact of his job. '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.  'It was a 2.4million-litres-a-year jet fuel habit.' Mr Collis got a taste of life outside of aviation when he was partially stood down during Covid, beginning a baking apprenticeship at Old Evropa Bakery in Eltham, Melbourne's north-east.   He resumed his piloting duties in 2023, but didn't last long because climate change weighed so much on his mind that he wasn't able to continue flying.  'I started to realise that most of what [the industry] appeared to be doing [for climate change] was really just tokenism, spin and greenwashing,' Mr Collis said. A former Jetstar pilot has revealed how concerns about climate change forced him to quit the job after 42 years in the industry 'I got to the point where I just thought … I don't think I can, in clear conscience amidst the climate situation we're facing, be part of the industry anymore. 'Eventually, it was a no-brainer. I had really no option but to to to walk away from it.' Mr Collis said a factor in his decision to resign was that the aviation industry reassured him that 'everything was under control' even though evidence suggested otherwise.  '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.   'Yes, the airline industry is slowly moving towards marginally more fuel efficient aircraft, but what they don't want you think about is that emissions from planned airline growth will totally swamp any small efficiency gains. 'Yes, the airline industry is beginning to implement supposedly lower impact technology such as so-called "sustainable aviation fuel" or SAF, but what they don't want to you consider is that there will never be anywhere near enough arable land or electricity generation capability for any of them at the scale required. 'Yes, the industry is working to improve efficiency in the air through direct tracking and better traffic management to reduce airborne holding time, but what they don't want you to know is that these are marginal tinkering gains at best.' Mr Collis now works part-time as a baker at Old Evropa Bakery, but admitted he kept some doubts as to whether he made the right decision.  Mr Collis got a taste of life outside of aviation when he was partially stood down during Covid (stock image) Geoff Collis, in his 60s, had always wanted to fly since the age of 10 and spent over four decades in the air despite hearing about 'the greenhouse effect' in the 80s Should people quit jobs they love if they believe their work harms the environment? What's your view?Those doubts eased when he discovered Safe Landing, a group established by current and former aviation workers to support pilots grappling with climate concerns.  'Knowing there are other people out there who came to the same conclusion as myself was reassuring and reaffirming,' he told the ABC. 'There was a huge sense of like, "Wow I'm not the only oddball who's feeling this way."' While his love for flying will never die, Mr Collis said he has no regrets about moving on to the next chapter of his life.