A former airline captain who is the subject of a “complex fraud” investigation lacked the proper license for the position, Air Canada says.
The nation’s largest carrier said in a statement Monday that the pilot, who was not identified because they are no longer employees, was removed from active duty when the airline found out.
Air Canada did not say when it discovered this, but added that it “voluntarily reported the matter to him.” Shipping Canadawho imposed a monetary penalty on the pilot.
Peel Regional Police claimed Monday that the captain has made hundreds of flights without the necessary license. Investigators will reveal the results of their investigation, dubbed Project Icarus, at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
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“Safety was not compromised by this incident because all pilots at Air Canada undergo mandatory periodic training every six months to prove their flight competency, including a flight check with a certified Transport Canada check pilot every 12 months. However, proper licensing is an essential layer of the airline industry, so the multi-layered air approach takes this safety issue seriously,” Canada’s statement said.
“It has undertaken an audit of its pilot pool and found no further instances of non-compliance. Also, pilot licenses are checked by a certified check pilot twice a year as part of recurring checks and training, and Air Canada has strengthened its administrative practices when physically verifying licences. This includes verifying original Transport Canada documents.”
Air Canada said the individual was a fully trained pilot who held a valid commercial pilot’s license and had met or exceeded the required recurrent training.
“However, although both captains and first officers are trained to operate aircraft, regulations require captains of large aircraft operated by airlines in Canada to hold an Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL), obtained by passing a series of written exams,” the airline said.
“This individual, who had been promoted to captain, lacked the mandatory ATPL for this position. Shortly after Air Canada discovered this, the individual was removed from active duty and the company voluntarily reported the matter to Transport Canada.”
Air Canada added that it would not comment further due to the active criminal investigation.
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