The plane pilot who flew without a license for 17 years Getty Images A former Air Canada pilot is accused of carrying thousands of passengers on commercial flights without the proper license for 17 years, according to Canadian authorities. Ontario provincial police said the pilot, 59-year-old Geoffrey Wall, had been flying under false credentials since being promoted to captain in 2009. He now faces several fraud-related charges. Air Canada said the pilot was immediately relieved of his duties as soon as the false documents were discovered last year. "The company voluntarily reported the matter to Transport Canada," the airline said. The five most desired professions in the world and how much they pay The company said passenger safety was never at risk, noting that all pilots undergo competency training every six months. Nick Milinovich of Peel Regional Police said Wall had been flying with Air Canada for 27 years, starting his career in 1998. The pilot had been falsifying his credentials since 2009, when he was promoted to the position of commander, according to police. For this role, pilots are required to hold an airline transport pilot's license (ATPL), obtained in part by passing a series of written exams. "This would be very similar to a doctor who is licensed to practice family medicine but is performing brain surgeries in his office," Milinovich said. Over the past 17 years, police said Wall has flown several types of Boeing aircraft and flown a total of 900 domestic and international flights, earning millions of dollars in wages — all, allegedly, without proper credentials. Authorities said the alleged fraud was discovered last year during a routine assessment, when inconsistencies were identified in the accused pilot's license documentation — prompting an investigation by Transport Canada, Canada's federal transportation department. Peel Regional Police began a criminal investigation into Wall at the time, which included a search warrant and an analysis of the license, which police confirmed was forged. Wall was charged on June 1 with seven felonies, including fraud, document forgery and possession of a counterfeit trademark. Air Canada stated that the pilot was fully trained with a valid commercial pilot license, but did not have the ATPL required to operate as a captain under Canadian regulations. In a statement, the airline added that it "treats this matter with the utmost seriousness" and said it had completed an audit of its pilots and found no other cases of non-compliance. Asked why Wall's alleged fraud went undetected for years, Milinovich noted that offenders can become "very skilled" at "devices." "It's not uncommon for fraud to continue for years and years," he said. "Eventually she is discovered, and that's when we get involved." Wall is scheduled to appear in court on June 29.