Air Canada and CAE, two Montreal-based global aviation companies confirmed the opening for applications for the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, fostering the next generation of women in non-traditional airline careers.
Up to eight young Canadian women studying to become commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers will be awarded scholarships to pursue their training in 2025. Among them, four recipients training to become commercial pilots will join the CAE Women in Flight program as ambassadors.
"As we go into our sixth year of the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships, I am proud to see that past recipients are now first officers and flight instructors from across Canada. Meeting scholarship recipients at the Northern Lights Aero Foundation gala each year is the highlight of the evening for me. These young women are the future of aviation. They have not only shown determination and excellence in their training, but they have also encouraged other women by mentoring and volunteering. Thanks to Air Canada and to CAE for supporting them in their journey," said Judy Cameron, Boeing 777 Captain at Air Canada (retired), and Director, Northern Lights Aero Foundation.
"At Air Canada, we are incredibly proud of the strides taken by the past recipients of the distinguished Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship. This initiative is important as we continue our work developing and supporting the next generation of aviation professionals. The success of this scholarship is already being seen, with past recipients achieving their goals of becoming Pilots or Aircraft Maintenance Engineers," said Murray Strom, Senior Vice President, Flight Operations and Maintenance at Air Canada.
"Attracting more women to a career in the flight deck is a priority of CAE's Women in Flight program, especially as the there is a projected need for 63,000 commercial pilots in North America by 2032. We are proud to play a part in broadening the appeal of a career in aviation and supporting underrepresented groups through initiatives like the Captain Judy scholarships for aspiring women pilots. As Women in Flight Ambassadors, CAE's recipients will also become role models for the young women who will form the next generation of aviation professionals." said Marie-Christine Cloutier, CAE's Vice-President, Performance, Strategy and Marketing.
The annual Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships, established in honour of Air Canada's first female pilot to help foster the next generation of women following in her trailblazing footsteps, are awarded in conjunction with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation.
The Captain Judy Cameron scholarships were launched in 2019 and initially awarded to four recipients. In 2023, Air Canada and CAE joined forces to double the number of recipients and award eight scholarships to eligible students.
Judy Cameron became the first female pilot hired by Air Canada, Canada's largest airline, in April 1978 at the age of 23. She was the first woman to graduate from Selkirk College's Aviation Technology Program in 1975. Throughout her flying career of 40 years and over 23,000 hours, she has flown the DC-3, Twin Otter, Hawker Siddeley 748, DC-9, Lockheed 1011, Airbus 320, Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 to the far corners of the world. She became a captain in 1997 and in 2010, she became the first female captain in Canada of a Boeing 777, the largest aircraft in Air Canada's fleet. She retired in 2015, received the Elsie MacGill Northern Lights award in the Flight Operations category that year, and in 2016 she was chosen by the 99s (International Organization of Women Pilots) to be on its Canadian postage stamp. Today, Captain Cameron continues her volunteer work mentoring and supporting the next generation of female pilots with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation.
Air Canada proudly launched the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship in her honour in 2019.