An Air Canada pilot allegedly flew 900 flights over 17 years by forging the top-tier captain’s licence required to command commercial Boeing aircraft
An Air Canada captain allegedly flew hundreds of flights and pocketed millions of dollars after faking the top-tier credentials needed for the job. Geoffrey Wall, 59, is accused of pulling off the brazen stunt for nearly two decades before routine checks finally blew his cover.
The Ontario-based pilot had actually been with the airline since 1998, but cops say the deception began in 2009 when he climbed his way up to the rank of pilot-in-command.
While Wall held a valid commercial flying licence, he allegedly forged the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) strictly required by Canadian law to captain a commercial aircraft.
Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich of Peel Regional Police said: “This is very similar to a doctor that is licensed to practice family medicine, but is doing brain surgery in their office.”
During his 17 years operating with the allegedly faked paperwork, Wall took control of multiple Boeing aircraft types.
He successfully completed 900 domestic and international routes packed with thousands of unsuspecting passengers.
Air Canada scrambled to ground the pilot as soon as the red flags were raised last year. The airline has downplayed any potential danger to travellers, pointing out that Wall still had to pass rigorous competency assessments every six months.
In an official statement, Air Canada confirmed: “The company voluntarily reported the matter to Transport Canada.”
The airline added that it “takes this matter with utmost seriousness,” and revealed a subsequent audit of its entire pilot roster found no other fraudulent licences.
According to police, Wall managed to slip under the radar for so long because fraudsters become “very good” at hiding their tracks.
Deputy Chief Milinovich said: “It is not uncommon for fraud to continue for years and years. Eventually it catches up to you, and that’s when we get involved.”
Following a deep-dive criminal probe by federal transport officials and police, Wall was arrested on June 1. He is now facing seven criminal charges, including fraud, forging documents and possession of a counterfeit mark.
The high-flying fraud suspect has been grounded ahead of his first appearance in court, which is scheduled for June 29.