“Like a movie script”: Former Air Canada pilot charged after allegedly flying with fake licence

A former Air Canada pilot is facing criminal charges after investigators alleged he spent years flying commercial aircraft, carrying tens of thousands of passengers, using falsified credentials.

According to Peel Regional Police, Geoffrey Wall, 59, rose from first officer to captain, despite never obtaining the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), a certification required to command large passenger aircraft in Canada.

Police allege, from 2009 to 2025, Wall flew roughly 900 domestic and international flights aboard Boeing 767, 777 and 787 aircraft while using a forged licence to misrepresent his qualifications.

At a news conference on Tuesday (June 9), Peel Police Deputy Chief Nick Milonovich said the investigation reads “like a movie script,” as reported by CTV News.

“This is similar to a doctor that is licenced to practice family medicine but is doing brain surgery in their office,” Milinovich noted.

Deception in the sky

Authorities say the deception came to light during a routine operational review conducted by Transport Canada in 2025, which uncovered irregularities in his licensing records.

Following a regulatory investigation by Transport Canada and a subsequent criminal probe by Peel police, Wall was charged with fraud over $5,000, uttering forged documents, possession of a counterfeit mark, and public mischief.

“As captain, the accused was considered the pilot in command and was ultimately responsible for aircraft operation and safety during flight,” Det.-Sgt. Chad Michell told reporters on Tuesday.

Investigators further allege he attempted to conceal the false credentials by filing a fraudulent police report.

Safety was “not compromised,” says Air Canada

In a statement Monday, Air Canada said safety was “not compromised” by the incident, saying all pilots “undergo mandatory recurrent training” every six months to “validate their flying competency,” which includes a flight check with a certified Transport Canada check-pilot every year.

“Throughout his employment with Air Canada, the individual in question was a fully trained pilot who held a valid Commercial Pilot Licence, and he successfully met or exceeded the required recurrent training, demonstrating a high level of competency to safely operate large aircraft,” Air Canada said.

The airline said the pilot lacked the mandatory ATPL, which must be obtained by all captains of large aircrafts operated by airlines in Canada and involves a series of written exams.

Wall – who reportedly made about $2.9 million (CAD) during his time as captain – retired from Air Canada in early 2025 and is scheduled to appear in a Brampton court on June 29.

Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon said the federal government is reviewing the case, ensuring that improvements, “if there are any,” would be made, the Associated Press reports.

Despite the alleged fraud spanning many years, he said the safeguards in place ultimately identified the issue.

“I am gratified that we were able to detect this issue and get it dealt with,” he said.

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.