International Women’s Day: Air Canada and CAE Announce the 2025 Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship Recipients
The Voice of Canada News:
In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, Air Canada and CAE proudly announce the eight winners of the 2025 Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships. The two Montreal-based global aviation companies have again joined forces to award scholarships to eight women from across Canada who are pursuing careers as commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers.
The Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, now in its sixth year, was established in honour of Air Canada’s first female pilot. Scholarships are awarded annually by Air Canada and CAE, in conjunction with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, to foster the next generation of women in aviation.
“Air Canada is proud to be a leader fostering the next generation of women pursuing careers as pilots or maintenance engineers. Initiatives like the Captain Judy Cameron scholarship help inspire and encourage women undertaking non-traditional aviation careers, which in turn develop diverse, rich synergies in our industry and supports young women in STEM,” said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Public Affairs at Air Canada. “Congratulations to this year’s winners!”
“Women will play a key role in meeting the aviation industry’s demand for pilots in the future, and the CAE Women in Flight program and Captain Judy Cameron scholarship provide invaluable, merit-based support to deserving recipients,” said Marie-Christine Cloutier, Vice President, Performance, Strategy and Marketing at CAE. “It is essential for girls and young women to see strong role models in aviation, to know that a career in this industry is not only possible but achievable. By spotlighting the journeys and achievements of the four CAE Women in Flight Ambassadors, we hope to inspire the next generation to pursue their dreams in aviation with confidence and determination, leading to the success of the industry as a whole.”
“The highlight of my year is informing recipients that they are receiving the Captain Judy Cameron scholarship. These young women not only excel in their own training but are actively encouraging other women in their aviation journeys,” said Judy Cameron, Boeing 777 Captain at Air Canada (retired) and Director of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. “As they walk on stage at the Northern Lights Aero Foundation gala on October 4, I will be filled with pride to see the future of aviation. Congratulations to all eight women and to Air Canada and CAE for generously funding the scholarships.”
Biographies of the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship winners
Air Canada award recipients:
- Kimberly Ballantyne – Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Aymie Rioux – Quebec, Quebec
- Liv Letourneau – Port Moody, British Columbia
- Trisha Virdee – Innisfil, Ontario
CAE Women in Flight Ambassadors:
- Neghat Hidari – Mount Brydges, Ontario
- Kayla McNeely – SW Calgary Alberta
- Arpan Srawn – Edmonton, Alberta
- Miriam Roumia – Waterloo, Ontario
About Captain Judy Cameron
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.
Since 2019, Air Canada committed to awarding $20,000 per year toward the Captain Judy Cameron scholarship. In 2023, CAE added its support to the scholarship through its Women in Flight ambassador program.
The Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship is open to women who are Canadian citizens and who are enrolled in a fixed wing aviation flight program at a college, university, or flight school, or an aircraft repair and maintenance program anywhere in Canada.
The Scholarship is administered by the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, which inspires and celebrates Canadian women in aviation and aerospace with mentorship, scholarships, a speaker’s bureau, and a junior board, along with an annual award event.
About the CAE Women in Flight Ambassador Program
The CAE Women in Flight ambassador program is helping to create a movement that encourages young girls and women to dream big and have no limits. Because women make up a very small percentage of commercial pilots worldwide, this program shows women that they, too, can reach for the sky. CAE is partnering with airline customers globally to provide partially funded and fully funded pilot training scholarships to deserving women, who also become program ambassadors who inform and inspire other women to become pilots.
The program was launched in 2018 and expanded in July 2022 to grow the movement by forging partnerships with more airline customers. Initially, the program was limited to candidates enrolled in one of CAE’s airline-sponsored cadet training programs. However, with the program’s evolution, CAE now matches existing airline scholarships. The program aims to build a community of ambassadors who demonstrate leadership skills, active community involvement, perseverance, and passion for aviation, and who can inspire women to join the pilot profession.
