A former Air Canada pilot has been charged after allegedly operating commercial flights for years without the appropriate license, Canadian police announced on Tuesday.
Geoffrey Wall, from Barrie, Ontario, is accused of serving as an airline captain between 2009 and 2025 without holding the necessary license to pilot large commercial passenger aircraft, according to Peel Regional Police.
He is said to have conducted over 900 domestic and international flights under these circumstances.
While Air Canada confirmed Wall, 59, possessed a valid commercial pilot license, he was reportedly promoted to captain without the required airline transport pilot license.
“This pilot had a 27-year career and we are alleging that since 2009 has been flying for years, misrepresenting himself and his credentials to his employer and regulatory officials using fraudulent licensing documents,” Deputy Police Chief Nick Milinovich stated.
“He rose to the position of pilot in command, where for almost 17 years he flew Boeing 767s, 777s and 787s.”
Air Canada stated that Wall was removed from active duty once the licensing discrepancy was discovered and the matter was voluntarily reported to Transport Canada, the regulatory body.
The pilot is no longer employed by the airline. Police indicated that anomalies were detected during a documentation check, prompting Transport Canada to contact authorities earlier this year.
Despite the serious allegations, Air Canada maintained that passenger safety was not compromised.
The airline cited mandatory recurrent training every six months for all pilots, including a flight check with a certified Transport Canada check-pilot annually, as safeguards.
An internal audit reportedly found no other instances of non-compliance among its pilots.
“Safety was not compromised by this incident because all pilots at Air Canada undergo mandatory recurrent training every six months to validate their flying competency, including a flight check with a certified Transport Canada check-pilot every 12 months,” the airline said in a statement.
“However, appropriate licensing is an essential layer of the airline industry’s multi-layered approach to safety, so Air Canada takes this matter with utmost seriousness.”
The airline, which did not publicly name the pilot, declined further comment due to privacy laws and the ongoing criminal investigation.
Transport Canada has already fined the pilot for not possessing the correct license for an aircraft captain. Additionally, police allege the accused filed a false report regarding purportedly stolen pilot documentation.
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