Air Canada pilot accused of flying more than 900 flights without valid licence: “Like a movie script”
A former Air Canada pilot has been charged after years of flying without a proper license, Canadian police said Tuesday, in a case investigators say resembles a Hollywood screenplay.
Geoffrey Wall, of Barrie, Ontario, is alleged to have served as an airline captain between 2009 and 2025 without a license to pilot large passenger aircraft, according to Peel Regional Police.
Police say he has flown more than 900 domestic and international flights without the required license. Air Canada has confirmed that one of its pilots has a valid pilot’s license, but was promoted to captain without the required pilot’s license.
Deputy Police Chief Nick Milinovich alleged that the 59-year-old Wall “had been flying around for years misrepresenting himself and his credentials to his employer and regulatory authorities using false license papers.”
“This is like a doctor who has a family medicine license but performs brain surgery in his office,” said Mlinovich.
The airline said the pilot was fired if it was found he did not have the proper license, which was voluntarily reported to Transport Canada, the regulator. The pilot is no longer employed by the airline.
In January, police launched a criminal investigation, known as Project Icarus, after Transport Canada began reviewing the captain.
“Through the execution of a search warrant and other court orders, investigators found evidence indicating that the defendant defrauded both his employer, Air Canada, and the aviation regulator, Transport Canada,” police said in a statement.
Investigators told the Toronto Star the details of the case “read like a movie script,” referring to Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2002 film “Catch Me If You Can.”
“Where did you see something so impressive?” Chief Nishan Duraiappah told the newspaper, adding: “As I understand it, this is a once-in-a-lifetime incident – at least at this level.”
Air Canada said safety was not at risk and that its pilots’ inspections found no other instances of non-compliance.
“Safety was not compromised as a result of this incident because all Air Canada pilots receive mandatory training every six months to ensure they are able to fly, including a flight test with a certified Transport Canada pilot every 12 months,” the airline said in a statement.
“However, proper licensing is an important layer of the aviation industry’s safety approach, so Air Canada takes this matter very seriously.”
The airline declined to comment further due to privacy laws and the ongoing criminal investigation.
The airline, which did not name the pilot, said he was fined by Transport Canada for not having the proper captain’s license.
The police also said that the accused filed a false report with the police about the driver’s license that was allegedly stolen.
Wall made an estimated $2.9 million Canadian ($2.1 million) during his time as captain, police said.
An attorney for Wall could not immediately be reached.
Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon said the federal government would review the case and ensure that progress, “if any,” would be made. Although there have been allegations of fraud for a long time, he said that the system to identify these issues has worked.
“I am happy that we were able to see this problem and deal with it,” he said.
