A former airline captain has been charged with fraud after allegedly operating hundreds of flights over nearly 17 years without the required licence, according to Peel Regional Police.
Geoffrey Wall, 59, from Barrie, Ont., was taken into custody on June 1, following an extensive fraud investigation known as “Project Icarus,” Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich shared during a press conference on Tuesday.
Wall started his career in 1998 and became a captain in 2009. At that time, he needed an airline transport pilot licence (ATPL), which police claim he didn’t possess.
He reportedly used fake pilot licences to mislead Air Canada and Transport Canada throughout his tenure as a captain and tried to cover this up in a false report to law enforcement, Milinovich stated.
Wall faces charges including fraud over $5,000, public mischief, two counts of using forged documents, and three counts of possessing counterfeit marks, as detailed by Peel police in a release after the Tuesday news briefing.
“This is very similar to a doctor that is licensed to practice family medicine but is doing brain surgery in their office,” remarked Milinovich.
WATCH | Police provide update on fraud investigation into former pilot:
FULL NEWS CONFERENCE | Former captain flew without proper licence for nearly 17 years
Peel Regional Police gave an update on Tuesday regarding an inquiry revealing that a former airline captain allegedly flew hundreds of flights between 2009 and 2025 without the necessary licence. You can view the complete news conference in the player above.
The investigation kicked off in January when Transport Canada reviewed the licensing credentials and behavior of a commercial airline captain. Discrepancies were found with documentation he submitted during a routine operational evaluation last year at Pearson airport, police reported.
From 2009 to 2025, Wall was at the helm for more than 900 domestic and international flights, transporting tens of thousands of passengers aboard Boeing 767s, 777s, and 787s while earning close to $3 million in salary, according to police.
Throughout his 27-year career, Wall held various positions within the Air Canada Pilots Association including chairing its master executive council-the governing body of the association-police noted.
Nando Iannicca, chair of the Peel Police Services Board, expressed concern over Wall’s allegations due to their scale and potential impact on public trust.
“The allegations in this case suggest a deliberate effort to circumvent systems designed to safeguard the public,” he stated.
In response to CBC Toronto’s inquiry,
< Georgian College spokesperson Philip Scheirich confirmed Wall was indeed employed part-time there.(Georgian College)
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Air Canada insists safety wasn’t jeopardized
However, Air Canada released a statement on Monday asserting that although they are taking this matter very seriously, safety had not been compromised. The airline explained that pilots undergo testing every six months to confirm their flying skills. Additionally, pilots participate in flight checks with certified Transport Canada check-pilots every year. The airline confirmed that Wall was fully trained with a valid commercial pilot licence and showed high competency during his recurrent training sessions. When asked if safety had been impacted by Wall’s alleged actions on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Milinovich stated these licensing requirements are essential for good reason. “When we breach those-not only when we breach them but when we misrepresent our qualifications-that’s definitely a safety issue,” he remarked. Air Canada noted that upon discovering Wall did not have his ATPL-which is mandatory for captains operating large aircraft within Canadian airlines-they removed him from active duty and notified Transport Canada about the situation. Police indicated that Wall had retired last year before either Transport Canada’s review or their investigation commenced.Wall worked part-time at Georgian College
After retiring from Air Canada, Wall took up work at Georgian College where he assisted students with military backgrounds transition into college life according to information dated November 2025 posted on the college’s website. The post credited to Wall mentioned his early experiences flying out of Barrie Flying Club as well as joining military service straight out of high school. It said he served as a helicopter pilot based out of Moose Jaw before moving onto Halifax prior to joining Air Canada.In response to CBC Toronto’s inquiry,
< Georgian College spokesperson Philip Scheirich confirmed Wall was indeed employed part-time there.(Georgian College)
“I’ve always believed in helping people navigate systems that can feel overwhelming; my role focused largely on connection and trust,” read what has since been deleted from their website.
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