A Barrie man has been charged with fraud and forgery after police allege he spent more than 16 years captaining Air Canada flights without holding the proper licence to do so.
Geoffrey Wall, 59, is accused of using fraudulent documents to misrepresent his qualifications to both the airline and Canada's aviation regulator, allowing him to captain more than 900 flights before his retirement in 2025.
How it allegedly went undetected for years
Wall joined Air Canada in 1998 and worked as a first officer before being promoted to captain in 2009, according to Peel Regional Police. He was based at Toronto's Pearson International Airport and flew some of the airline's largest aircraft, including the Boeing 767, 777, and 787.
While Wall held a commercial pilot's licence, police say he lacked the highest certification required to serve as a captain. The alleged fraud went undetected for roughly 16 years until a routine evaluation at Pearson in March 2025 turned up "anomalies" in his documentation.
When the discrepancy was discovered, police allege Wall falsely reported his documents as stolen.
Transport Canada conducted a separate regulatory review before a criminal investigation was formally launched in January 2026. Wall was charged Tuesday.
"Similar to a doctor doing brain surgery"
Peel Region Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich offered a pointed comparison to explain the severity of the alleged offence.
"This is similar to a doctor that is licensed to practise family medicine but is doing brain surgery in their office," he said.
Air Canada says no other pilots found non-compliant
Air Canada said it removed Wall from duty as soon as it became aware of the issue and voluntarily reported the matter to Transport Canada. The airline said it then conducted an audit of its pilot roster and found no other instances of non-compliance.
The company said safety was "not compromised by this incident," pointing out that pilots undergo mandatory recurrent training every six months to validate their flying skills, as well as an annual flight check with a Transport Canada pilot.
"However, appropriate licensing is an essential layer of the airline industry's multi-layered approach to safety, so Air Canada takes this matter with utmost seriousness," the company said.
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Federal government says the system worked
Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon said the federal government would review the case and look at whether any improvements were needed. Despite the length of the alleged fraud, he struck a measured tone.
"I am gratified that we were able to detect this issue and get it dealt with," he told reporters on Parliament Hill.
*With files from David Baxter in Ottawa and The Canadian Press
