A former Air Canada pilot is accused of flying for nearly 17 years without the license required to act as a captain, Canadian authorities say. Multiple outlets report that the man allegedly flew about 900 flights after being promoted to captain in 2009, using false documents to support his qualifications. Authorities also say the pilot retired last year, before the investigation concluded. The pilot, described as 59 years old in several reports, faces multiple charges, including fraud and offences related to forging or using documents, with some outlets also listing public mischief among the allegations.
In response to the accusations, Air Canada says the incident did not compromise safety, citing mandatory recurrent training for all pilots every six months to validate flying competency. Some reporting also states the pilot held a valid commercial pilot license but did not have the specific airline transport licence required for captain duties.
The case is ongoing, and the pilot has not been convicted based on the reports summarized here.
