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CAE presents its first Women in Flight ambassadors


June 18, 2019  By Wings Staff

CAE at the Paris Air Show introduced the first three winners of its 2019 CAE Women in Flight scholarship program. CAE’s new Women in Flight ambassadors will help drive awareness and promote the pilot profession among women, as well as diversity in aviation.

The CAE Women in Flight scholarship recipients will receive a full tuition scholarship that will cover the entire cost of training at CAE, including accommodation and travel. CAE partnered with five global airlines for this first edition. The CAE Women in Flight scholarship recipients for the Air Asia Cadet Pilot Program and the American Airline Cadet Academy Program will be announced later this year.

“We look forward to accompanying our new ambassadors, from their early days in training to the beginning of their journey as professional pilots with our airline partners,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE’s group president, Civil Aviation Training Solutions.

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Over the next decade, CAE expects the civil aviation industry to need over 300,000 new pilots. CAE notes, with women currently representing less than five per cent of pilots, that it is taking a proactive approach to promote a better gender balance and tap into a wider pool of talent. One of the objectives of the CAE Women in Flight program is for its ambassadors to inspire a new generation of professional pilots.

The first three CAE Women in Flight ambassadors include:

Georgina Thomas-Watson, age 28, from London, United Kingdom, winner of the Generation easyJet Cadet Program, who said: “I want to be a fantastic role model for my kids, particularly my daughter, I convinced her to call me ‘super mommy’ because I’m learning how to fly. Too many women give up on their dreams and careers as soon as they become mothers.”

Daniella Saucedo Orozco, age 20, from Mexico City, Mexico, winner of the Aeromexico Cadet Program, who said: “I have never had a passion until I discovered my love for aviation. We should remember that gender is no limit, our limit is the sky.”

Bisma Petafi, age 30, from High Wycombe, United Kingdom, winner of the CityJet Climb High Mentored Cadet Program, who said: “I am 100 per cent sure that no other profession can compare to the pilot profession. The satisfaction that you get from flying is different from any career that I can possibly pursue.”

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