Canadian police say a former Air Canada pilot has been charged after flying for years without a valid license.
Geoffrey Wall, 59, from Barrie, Ontario, is accused of serving as captain from 2009 to 2025 without the required large commercial passenger aircraft pilot license, according to Peel Regional Police.
Air Canada said Wall held a valid commercial pilot license but was promoted to captain without the required airline transport pilot license.
The airline said Wall was immediately suspended when the license deficiency was discovered, and the matter was voluntarily reported to Transport Canada, the regulatory agency. Wall is no longer with the airline.
Police said irregularities were found during a records check. Transport Canada contacted police earlier this year.
Air Canada stressed that safety was not affected by the issue, as all its pilots undergo mandatory recurrent training every six months to check flying proficiency, including a flight test with a Transport Canada-certified check pilot every 12 months.
“However, proper licensing is an essential layer in aviation’s multi-layered safety approach, so Air Canada treats this matter with the utmost seriousness,” the airline said in a statement.
The airline declined further comment due to privacy laws and an ongoing criminal investigation. It confirmed Wall was fined by Transport Canada for lacking the proper license to serve as captain.
Police also said the accused falsely reported the loss of pilot documents, claiming they were stolen.
