- Eight scholarships available to young Canadian women studying to become commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers
- Four aspiring commercial pilots will become CAE Women in Flight ambassadors
- Scholarship applications open as of Nov. 1 here
MONTREAL, Oct. 31, 2025 /CNW/ - Air Canada and CAE, two leading, global aviation companies based in Montréal, are proud to continue their collaboration fostering the next generation of women in airline careers through the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship. The companies announced today that applications for the 2026 edition of the Scholarship will open on November 1, 2025.
Up to eight young Canadian women studying to become commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers will be awarded scholarships to pursue their training in 2026. Of those, four recipients training to become commercial pilots will join the CAE Women in Flight program as ambassadors.
"As applications open for the seventh year of the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships, it is exciting to see the progress of past recipients. From a Captain and First Officer at Jazz Aviation (Air Canada Express), to air ambulance, corporate, and charter pilots, as well as First Officers with major airlines, these women are turning their aviation dreams into reality, thanks to the support of Air Canada and CAE," said Judy Cameron, Boeing 777 Captain at Air Canada (retired), and Director, Northern Lights Aero Foundation. "Meeting the newest scholarship recipients at the Northern Lights Gala earlier this month was inspiring. Each of them is not only excelling in her training but also giving back. They are mentoring, volunteering, and encouraging other women to follow their own paths in aviation. I look forward to celebrating their future accomplishments. "
"All of us at Air Canada are proud to support this scholarship and of the career successes we are seeing past recipients achieve. The Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship is a vital part of the work being done to develop and support the next generation of aviation professionals. We look forward to seeing their continued progression in this exciting profession," said Murray Strom, Senior Vice President, Flight Operations and Maintenance at Air Canada.
"With 60,000 new commercial pilots needed in North America by 2034, there's never been a more exciting time to inspire young women to take flight. At CAE, we're passionate about opening doors and building confidence through our Women in Flight program and initiatives like the Captain Judy Scholarship. These scholarship recipients aren't just future pilots--they're trailblazers and role models, showing girls everywhere that the sky is theirs to reach," said Marie-Christine Cloutier, CAE's Vice President, Performance, Strategy and Marketing.
The annual Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships, created in honour of Air Canada's first female pilot, help foster the next generation of women following in her trailblazing footsteps. They are awarded in partnership 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.
Scholarship applications open on Nov. 1, 2025 here.
About 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. Today, Captain Cameron continues her volunteer work mentoring and supporting the next generation of female pilots with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation.
About CAE Women in Flight Ambassador Program
CAE's Women in Flight Ambassador program is helping create a movement to encourage young girls and women to dream big and have no limits. As only five percent of pilots worldwide are women, this program is geared to show women that they too can reach for the sky. The goal of the program is to build a community of ambassadors who demonstrate leadership skills, active involvement in their communities, perseverance, who are passionate about aviation, and inspire women to join the pilot profession.
Launched in 2018, the CAE Women in Flight Ambassador program was expanded in July 2022 to include partnerships with more airline customers to increase the number of scholarships given. This is a co-branded program in which CAE is partnering with airline customers globally to create women pilot ambassadors via scholarships ranging from partially funded to fully funded pilot training.
To learn more about the program, go to CAE Women in Flight Ambassador Program | CAE
About CAE
At CAE, we exist to make the world safer. We deliver cutting-edge training, simulation, and critical operations solutions to prepare aviation professionals and defence forces for the moments that matter. Every day, we empower pilots, cabin crew, maintenance technicians, airlines, business aviation operators, and defence and security personnel to perform at their best and when the stakes are the highest. Around the globe, we're everywhere customers need us to be with approximately 13,000 employees at around 240 sites and training locations in over 40 countries. For nearly 80 years, CAE has been at the forefront of innovation, consistently seeking to set the standard by delivering excellence in high-fidelity flight simulators and training solutions, while embedding sustainability at the heart of everything we do. By harnessing technology and enhancing human performance, we strive to be the trusted partner in advancing safety and mission readiness--today and tomorrow.
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About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada's Aeroplan program is Canada's premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world's largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada's passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada's climate-related ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see Air Canada's TCFD disclosure. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada and the OTCQX in the US.
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