Police in the Regional Municipality of Peel say Geoffrey Wall, a 59-year-old Ontario resident, served as a captain between 2009 and 2025 even though he did not hold an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), which is required to fly large commercial passenger aircraft. Investigators allege he flew more than 900 domestic and international flights during that period.
Authorities further allege he used falsified licensing documents, earned about 7.8 million shekels (around 2,6 million dollars) over the years and also filed a false report claiming his flight documents had been stolen.
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Air Canada confirmed that one of its pilots held a valid commercial pilot licence but was promoted to captain without having the required certification
(Photo: shutterstock)
Air Canada confirmed that one of its pilots held a valid commercial pilot license but was promoted to captain without having the required certification. The airline said he was immediately removed from active duty once the issue was discovered and the matter was reported by the company to the Canadian transport regulator. He is no longer employed by the airline.
Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said Wall “has been flying for years misrepresenting himself and his credentials to his employer and regulatory officials using fraudulent licensing documents.” He added: “This is very similar to a doctor that is licensed to practice family medicine, but is doing brain surgery in their office.”
The investigation began after irregularities were discovered during a routine document review. Transport Canada contacted police earlier this year, leading to an investigation and eventual charges. Investigators also allege Wall previously filed a false report claiming his flight documents had been stolen.
Air Canada said flight safety was not compromised. “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 company said.
However, the airline stressed that “appropriate licensing is an essential layer of the airline industry’s multilayered approach to safety, so Air Canada takes this matter with utmost seriousness.” It added that a comprehensive internal review of its pilots found no other cases of non-compliance with licensing requirements.
The company declined to provide further details due to privacy laws and the ongoing criminal investigation. It also noted that Transport Canada had issued the pilot a fine for not holding the required license to serve as captain.
Canadian Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon said the federal government would review the case and ensure improvements are made if necessary. However, he stressed that despite the alleged prolonged deception, oversight systems ultimately succeeded in identifying the issue. “I am gratified that we were able to detect this issue and get it dealt with,” he said.