Air Canada and CAE announce 2024 Judy Cameron Scholarships winners

Friday, March 8, 2024

Established in tribute to Air Canada’s pioneering female pilot, Captain Judy Cameron, the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship is now celebrating its fifth year. Annually, Air Canada and CAE, in partnership with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, present these scholarships to nurture the future generation of women in aviation.

Today, on International Women’s Day, Air Canada and CAE proudly unveil the recipients of the 2024 Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships. Collaborating once again, these two prominent aviation entities based in Montreal are granting scholarships to eight deserving women from various parts of Canada, all striving towards careers as commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers. Among them, four CAE awardees, undergoing training to become commercial pilots, will serve as ambassadors for the CAE Women in Flight program, actively promoting the participation of more women in the aviation industry.

“Air Canada takes great pride in its leadership role in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the aviation industry. Women are well represented across all levels and branches of our airline,” said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Public Affairs at Air Canada. “The Judy Cameron Scholarship actively works to support and empower the next generation of women pursuing non-traditional aviation STEM careers. Congratulations to this year’s winners.”

“CAE is proud to be a leader in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in aviation. Initiatives like CAE’s Women in Flight Program and the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships are critical to attracting and supporting more women in making their dream of a career in aviation a reality,” said Marie-Christine Cloutier, CAE’s Vice President, Civil Aviation Performance, Strategy and Marketing. “CAE’s Aviation Talent Forecast anticipates a global need for more than 1.3 million new aviation professionals by 2032, and attracting underrepresented groups, like women, will help keep the industry aloft and allow it to thrive.”

“I’m incredibly excited that the Northern Lights Aero Foundation received a record number of applications for the Captain Judy Cameron scholarships this year. Kudos to Air Canada for initiating and building momentum for the program over the past five years, and to CAE for joining the effort in 2022 to encourage more women in their aviation careers,” said Judy Cameron, Boeing 777 Captain at Air Canada (retired) and Director of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. “Past recipients have become flight instructors, maintenance engineers, and commercial pilots across Canada. This year’s recipients will inspire and support other women in their aviation journeys. Congratulations to the eight recipients and to Air Canada and CAE for generously funding the scholarships.”

Air Canada Scholarship Awardees:

1. Harnoor Bagarhy – Brampton, Ontario
2. Harman Bagarhy – Brampton, Ontario
3. Emily Contos – Winnipeg, Manitoba
4. Chanelle Wilson – Coldstream, British Columbia

CAE Women in Flight Ambassadors:

1. Ashley Gellatly – Cargill, Ontario
2. Nyssa Hansen – Delta, British Columbia
3. Chloe Muhl – Grimsby, Ontario
4. Trisha Virdee – Innisfil, Ontario

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