Air Canada has officially issued a statement regarding a pilot formerly employed by the airline after Transport Canada charged the individual a fine. This comes after he was found to have the incorrect licence for his position.
Lacking a Licence
Canada’s largest airline and flag carrier broke silence earlier this week about a formerly employed pilot who was issued a monetary penalty by Transport Canada for not holding correct documentation. It has been reported that the individual had allegedly captained a large number of flights without the necessary licence. In a statement, Air Canada confirmed the situation, and emphasised that the airline considered the matter with utmost seriousness.
In the statement made by Air Canada, the airline highlighted that the individual in question held a valid Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and was fully trained and competent, meeting the necessary criteria to operate an aircraft safely during his period of employment. However, the individual did not have the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) required for an individual to be a captain or first officer, but was nonetheless promoted to the role of captain.
The ATPL is a common licence standard that varies slightly depending on region, as a result of differing governing bodies and specific regulations, but across the board maintains its role as the highest level of aircraft pilot licence available. It is mandatory to command any aircraft over 5700 kg or with over 9 passenger seats. Achieving the licence typically requires an individual to have acquired a CPL, or undergone previous pilot training and accumulated around 1,500 flight hours, before passing a series of written exams.
Air Canada firmly clarified in the statement that the safety of their staff and passengers had not been at risk, emphasising that
“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.”
Following Actions
Air Canada’s statement concluded that the individual was removed from active duty immediately after the airline discovered the lack of appropriate licencing. Following this, the company claimed to have voluntarily reported the matter to Transport Canada, who issued the individual with a monetary penalty of an undisclosed amount.
According to Transport Canada, over the course of last year alone, there were 18 cases of flights being operated without the necessary licences in Ontario. This incident prompted Air Canada to conduct an audit of its remaining pilots, but this found no other problems or examples of non compliance with licencing.
While the pilot is no longer employed at the airline, Air Canada was unable to provide any further comment or information as a result of privacy laws and the active criminal investigation now underway.
Do you agree with the actions taken by Air Canada and Transport Canada? Let us know in the comments.
