Making history at 35,000 feet: Meet Zoey Williams, Air Canada’s first Black female pilot

The roar of jet engines was a familiar sound for Zoey Williams growing up, but she never imagined it would one day be her at the helm of the plane. 

Born into an airline family, Williams’ father — a long-time Air Canada pilot — raised her and her siblings while navigating the demands of the aviation industry. 

“When Air Canada called and they needed someone to fly, my dad didn’t have childcare, so they would book us onto the flight,” she recalls with a laugh, adding that it was that schedule and lifestyle that initially turned her away from being a pilot. 

Despite her initial reservations, Williams would not only follow in her father’s footsteps but would break barriers while doing it. 

Today, at just 28 years old and the first Black female pilot at Air Canada, Williams reflects fondly on her journey to the cockpit. 

“I love that in aviation, everyone’s got their own story of how they got here,” she said. “I’ve never heard two stories that are the same. It’s definitely been an interesting road for me.”

Overcoming fear

It wasn’t uncommon in Williams’ house for her dad to encourage his kids to try flying, offering the opportunity to go for a familiarization flight.

While she was never overtly interested, eventually, she agreed — not out of passion, but curiosity. The flight itself, however, was far from ideal. Turbulence shook the small aircraft, leaving Williams scared and determined to never try it again.

Her father, ever supportive, didn’t press the issue. But something about that turbulent flight lingered in her mind. 

And go back up she did, returning to flying again and again, eventually getting her license and falling in love with aviation in the process.

“I always joke that I liked the idea of freedom more than I didn’t like the idea of flying,” she said. “I was a bit stubborn and just adamant that I wasn’t going to let fear conquer my life.”

Taking to the skies

From that pivotal moment, her aviation journey began.

At her dad’s encouragement, Williams took her first job at the apron of her local airport, towing and fuelling planes. 

“I worked really hard, and physically it was a tough job,” she said. “But you gain a first-hand appreciation for these systems surrounding you that allow an operation to run. I’ve been out there in the freezing cold, so I’m very grateful for the people who do it daily.” 

From there, she took on a host of other various aviation jobs. 

She became a flight instructor and later flew to remote communities in northern Ontario, delivering medicine and food and transporting residents to areas only accessible by plane.

While the pandemic profoundly impacted aviation, Williams took full advantage of the downtime, returning to school for her Master’s Degree.

She then returned to flying, working as a pilot for domestic and transborder flights. Eventually, she landed a job with Air Canada, flying the Boeing 777.

One of her proudest moments came when she flew alongside her father in the commercial flight deck — a goal she’d set as a teenager. 

“When I first decided to pursue aviation, I knew his career had a time limit due to retirement age. So, I set the goal to fly with him. The day it happened was unforgettable,” she said. “Professionalism comes first, but there were still moments where we looked at each other and thought, ‘I can’t believe we’re here.’ ”

The power of representation

Williams says it’s hard to process the big picture when it comes to diversity. 

“I can acknowledge that I don’t see other people around me that look like me, and representation is so important,” she said. “But it’s not until I’m having conversations with young women that I realize how important it is.”

Recently, she said a captain had shown his daughter a video Williams was in, and his daughter got so excited about the idea of pursuing aviation.

She also remembers being in the airport in her full uniform and having women of all ages approach her and say, “I didn’t know we could do this; I didn’t know we had the option to do this.” 

“That always really stuck with me and was quite heartbreaking,” explained Williams. “My question is always, ‘Who told you you couldn’t?’ ”

It’s conversations like those that inspired Williams and her sister to create a children’s book focused on flying to hopefully inspire future generations to not give up on their dreams. 

“I’m looking forward to sharing it and hopefully getting the message to younger and younger people that you have to believe in yourself above anything else,” she said. 

With her book underway and a full schedule balancing her advocacy and mentorship work with her full-time pilot, professor and entrepreneur roles, it’s hard to imagine where she finds the time. 

But for Williams, her undeniable passion for what she does keeps her going. 

“When you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life. I know I love what I do,” she said. “All of it feeds my passion in different areas and provides me opportunities to give back or connect with people, and that’s very important to me.”