“If you have a burning desire to do something, don’t bury it. Keep your focus, build your networks, share your goals and show your passion in everything you do.” – Zoey Williams
We love witnessing Black History in the making and 27-year-old Zoey Williams keeps hitting milestone after milestone. In 2022, she joined Air Canada, quickly climbing her way up the ranks, and even sharing the flight deck as a First Officer on the Boeing 777, the airline’s largest aircraft, with her father, Captain Orrett Williams. Now, she’s soaring to new heights as Air Canada’s first Black female pilot to fly a Boeing 777.
With a childhood characterized by travel, Zoey grew up in different countries around the world, including Vietnam, Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago, and England. Although she initially opted to pursue the engineering side of aviation, her father, a Boeing 777 Captain at Air Canada, suggested that she take an introductory flight in a Cessna. Ironically, she hated the experience because of the turbulence, which made her feel uncomfortable and she resolved to never become a pilot. Faced with the decision to either run from her fears or face them, she mustered the courage to get back into a Cessna, with some mentorship and advice from her father. By age 19, she became a certified flight instructor, after which she went on to teach college-level aviation courses, while simultaneously building her flight time through airborne flight instruction.
With four college degrees under her belt, every step that she’s taken has been a building block for this historic moment. Before joining Air Canada, her aviation experience included flying on the Beechcraft 1900, and becoming a First officer on the Embraer 175 for Sky Regional Airlines.
Recognized by Wings Magazine as among the top 20 Under 40, we’re keeping our eyes to the sky for her next achievement!
