Former Air Canada pilot fined for flying without the proper licence

A pilot flying for Montreal-headquartered Air Canada faced a financial penalty from Transport Canada for flying with the incorrect licence.

Regulations require that captains of large aircraft operated by airlines in Canada hold an airline transport pilot licence (ATPL), obtained by passing a series of written exams, according to a statement from the airline.

The individual in question, who was fully trained, had been promoted to captain and held a commercial licence, “lacked the mandatory ATPL for the position,” the airline said. “Immediately upon Air Canada’s discovery of this, the individual was removed from active duty, and the company voluntarily reported the matter to Transport Canada.”

According to Transport Canada, there were 18 offences last year related to operating a flight without holding the appropriate permit in Ontario, with fines totalling $67,500.

The fully-trained pilot demonstrated a high level of competency to safely operate large aircraft, Air Canada added.

“Safety was not compromised by this incident because all pilots at Air Canada undergo mandatory recurrent training every six months to validate their flying competency, including a flight check with a certified Transport Canada check-pilot every 12 months.

“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 wrote.

The incident prompted Air Canada to audit its group of pilots, but it said it found no other instances of non-compliance.

The former pilot is no longer employed by Air Canada, it said, and an active criminal investigation is underway.