Air Canada Says Pilot Promoted to Captain Without License No Longer Works for Airline

By Elias Schisgall

Air Canada said a pilot who was promoted to captain without receiving the necessary licensing is no longer employed by the company.

The airline said the pilot, whose name it didn't release, lacked a mandatory airline transport pilot license required for captains of large aircraft operated by Canadian airlines. The airline also reported the matter to Transport Canada, which fined the pilot.

The pilot had a valid Commercial Pilot Licence and demonstrated that he could capably and safely operate a large aircraft, Air Canada said, adding that the incident didn't compromise safety.

"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 airline said. "It has undertaken an audit of its pilot group and found no other instances of non-compliance."

The company said it couldn't comment further due to Canadian privacy law and an active criminal investigation.

Local authorities in Peel, Ontario outside Toronto will hold a press conference about the case at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

Write to Elias Schisgall at elias.schisgall@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 08, 2026 17:52 ET (21:52 GMT)