Air Canada pilot flew over 900 large Boeing flights for 17 years without proper license, police say

A retired Air Canada pilot faces criminal charges after flying passengers for 17 years without proper licensing, Canadian police announced. 

Geoffrey Wall was arrested on June 1 after he served as the captain on Boeing 767s, 777s, and 787s flights for 17 years, earning more than $2 million USD in salary, CNN reported. Between 2009 and 2025, when he retired, he captained over 900 domestic and international flights. 

Wall was licensed to fly commercial planes for his entire 27-year career with Air Canada, but according to police, he never possessed an Airline Transport Pilot License for Aeroplane, which was required when he was promoted to captain in 2009. 

During a routine examination of his credentials in 2025, investigators say they discovered "anomalies" in Wall's licensing documentation. 

Air Canada said that it takes the matter with the "utmost seriousness" and considers appropriate licensing key to safe operations. 

“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,” Air Canada said in a statement.