TORONTO — A former Air Canada captain is the subject of a criminal fraud investigation after allegedly operating commercial flights without holding the required licence qualification, according to police and airline officials.Peel Regional Police provided details Tuesday during a news conference regarding what investigators have called "Project Icarus," a complex fraud investigation involving a former Air Canada pilot.The pilot flew illegally for 20 years and raked in millions of dollars in salary.He was captain of more than 900 domestic and international flights carry tens of thousands of passengers.The pilot has been identified as Geoffrey Wall, 59, of Barrie. Air Canada confirmed Wall is no longer employed by the airline. In a statement, the carrier said the pilot was removed from active duty immediately after the company discovered the licensing issue and voluntarily reported the matter to Transport Canada.According to Air Canada, the pilot lacked the required Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) at the time he was promoted to captain. The ATPL is the highest level of pilot certification required for captains operating commercial airline flights in Canada.The airline stated that despite the licensing deficiency, the pilot had completed all required recurrent training and competency checks."Safety was not compromised," Air Canada said, noting that pilots undergo mandatory recurrent training every six months and annual flight evaluations conducted by certified Transport Canada check pilots..The airline added that the pilot met or exceeded the operational training requirements necessary to fly large commercial aircraft.Earlier this month, Transport Canada issued $67,500 in administrative monetary penalties related to a pilot operating aircraft without the appropriate permit, licence, or rating on 18 flights between December 2024 and March 2025.Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether all of those violations were committed by the pilot currently under investigation.Following the discovery of the licensing issue, Air Canada conducted an audit of its pilot certification records and reported finding no additional instances of non-compliance.The airline also said it has strengthened its certification verification procedures, including physical verification of Transport Canada licensing documents.Peel Regional Police have not released details regarding potential criminal charges. Further information is expected during Tuesday's scheduled media briefing.Air Canada said it would not comment further while the matter remains under criminal investigation.
