An Air Canada captain flew hundreds of passenger flights for nearly 17 years without holding the license required for the job, according to Canadian police.Investigators said the case resembled the plot of a Hollywood movie, CNN reported.Geoffrey Wall, a former Air Canada pilot, was charged after he flew more than 900 domestic and international flights between 2009 and 2025, even though he never obtained the Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL-A) required to be a captain.Wall was arrested June 1 on charges of long-running fraud involving pilot qualifications. During this time, he flew major aircraft including the Boeing 767, 777 and 787, carrying tens of thousands of passengers and earning nearly $3 million in wages.“This investigation and the details surrounding it read like a movie script,” Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Milinovich told a news conference in Ontario.“(Wall) rose to the rank of captain and flew Boeing 767s, 777s and 787s for nearly 17 years” while earning a salary of nearly C$3 million (more than US$2 million).The case is similar to one featured in the 2002 movie “Catch Me If You Can,” which involved a teenager posing as a Pan Am pilot.Wall was not a bad pilot. During his 27-year career with Air Canada, he held a commercial pilot’s license and was legally authorized to fly commercial aircraft. However, he never obtained the higher-level ATPL-A license required when he was promoted to captain in 2009.“It’s very similar to a doctor who is licensed to practice family medicine but performs brain surgery in the office,” Milinovich said.Milinovic added: “The additional requirements and regulations for professional designations exist for a reason.”“We believe the defendant misrepresented his qualifications to employers and regulators,” Milinovich said.The fraud came to light in 2025 during a routine review of Wall’s credentials. Officials discovered “anomalies … in pilot license documents,” prompting Air Canada to alert regulators.Wall retired earlier this year, and authorities launched a criminal and regulatory investigation dubbed “Project Icarus” in January.Air Canada says passenger safety has not been compromised because all pilots receive regular training and competency checks.“Safety has not been compromised as a result of this incident, as all Air Canada pilots undergo mandatory recurrent training every six months to verify their ability to fly, including flight inspections every 12 months by a certified Transport Canada inspection pilot,” Air Canada said in a statement.“However, proper clearance is an important part of the aviation industry’s multi-layered approach to safety and Air Canada takes this matter extremely seriously,” the airline added.Transport Canada fined Wall, who now faces seven criminal charges. These include fraud over $5,000, two counts of forgery and three counts of possessing a counterfeit trademark.Wall is expected to appear in court on June 29, 2026.
