Former Air Canada pilot arrested for flying with invalid license

Geoffrey Wall, a former Air Canada pilot, was arrested on June 1 after allegedly flying passenger aircraft for 17 years without a valid Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). Investigators revealed that Wall served as captain on more than 900 domestic and international flights despite lacking the required qualifications. While Wall held a commercial pilot license throughout his career, he failed to obtain the ATPL mandated for his promotion to captain in 2009. The discrepancies were discovered during a routine qualification review in 2025, prompting Air Canada to notify regulatory authorities. Project Icarus, the official police investigation into the matter, began in January 2025 following these findings. Wall retired prior to the start of the formal criminal investigation. Police officials, including Deputy Chief Peel Milinovich, stated that the accused misled both his employer and aviation regulators. Air Canada maintains that flight safety was not compromised, as all pilots undergo mandatory recurrent training.