Jamaican Aviation Pioneer Retires From Commercial Aviation

JWOF Member, Captain Maria Ziadie-Haddad completed her last commercial airline flight on Saturday 17th October when she flew an Atlas Air B747-400 from Riverside, California, to Cherry point, North Carolina after 41 years of airline flying to 108 countries, logging more than 20,000 flight hours.

Maria was born in Montego-Bay, Jamaica, the eldest of four children. From the age of four, she was interested in flight, and her mother took her and her younger sister Paula on a local flight with Ken Rutter from the Montego Bay airport.

“Growing up I thought I would go into Medicine but changed to Social Studies and Psychology when I began college in Canada. After a year though, I decided to take some time off and I joined Air Jamaica as a flight attendant in 1974. By then airlines worldwide were hiring women pilots.

While employed to Air Jamaica, Maria had first hand experience with airline operations and many opportunity to view the flight deck of the DC9s, DC-8s, and B727.

She obtained her Private Pilot Certificate one year later, in 1975, at Wings Jamaica Ltd. The late Fredrick Carl Barnett was her Chief Flight Instructor. His wife, Earsley Barnett (deceased) cofounder of Wings, held the first pilot licence in Jamaica.

Mr B and her Air Jamaica colleagues encouraged Maria to continue her flight training with the aim of instructing as Mrs B did, as at that time there were no women pilots in the Military, the domestic airline Trans Jamiaca or the National carrier Air jamaica. Maria was the first and only person in her family to take up flying and pursue a career in aviation.

In 1976 she obtained her FAA Commercial Certificate with Multi Engine and  Instrument Ratings, while enrolled in a Part 141 school in Opa Locka, Florida.  

She resigned from her Flight Attendant job January 1978 to work as an Assistant Flight instructor at Wings and Rutair at Tinson Pen Aerodrome.

Maria was the third woman in Jamaica to earn the Jamaican commercial license and she was the first woman commercial pilot hired  by Air Jamaica (1968) Ltd and started her pilot training on March 5th, 1979 as a B727 Second Officer with eight other new hire Jamaican pilots.

In 1981 she transferred to the A300 aircraft, then upgraded to First Officer in 1986.

In December 1995 she upgraded on the B727 with the new Air Jamaica Holdings. And on July 2nd 1996,  checked out as Captain to become Air Jamaica’s first female captain. In 1997 Maria commanded the first all - female flight with FO Debbie McMaster, Purser Nadene Alexander, FAs Lisbeth Allen, Keisha Grant, and Judith Pryce.

After the closure of Air Jamaica Holdings Maria migrated to the US and joined Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings as a 747-400 First Officer on August 9th, 2010. Iniatially she was based in Huntsville , Alabama. During her 10 years with Atlas Maria transferred to other bases - Cincinnati, New York, Chicago and Miami. She has extensively on the B747-400, B747-8, and the Dream-lifter ( Large cargo freighter). Maria upgraded to Captain on the 747 in December 2015.

The Government of Jamaica, The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (2011), and the Jamaica cultural Alliance (2008), Jamaican Women of Florida (2017) have honored Maria as a trailblazer/ Pioneer in commercial aviation in Jamaica. Also the Florida Gold Coast Chapter of the Ninety-Nines recognized her as a trailblazer in December 2016, and Operation SAFEE Flight (Showcasing Aviation for Empowering Education) named Maria a South Florida Pioneering Women Aviator in April, 2019.

From 1979 to 2019 Maria was an Active member of the Jamaican Airline Pilots Association, serving on their Executive Council for 16 years in various positions as Director 1979-1986, Executive Secretary 1989-1993 & 2006-2010; and President 1999-2001.

Maria is a longstanding active  member of the International Society of Women Airline Pilots (ISA+21), Women in Aviation International,  and The Ninety-Nines, Inc. (including The Florida Gold Coast 99s Chapter).

Maria is grateful for  her 41 years of commercial airline flying with Air Jamaica and Atlas Air Worldwide and all the opportunities those flying jobs provided her with.

She is thankful for all the support and help  she has received during her early flight training years and throughout her career from her family, friends and colleagues.

Maria is married and her husband Brian  is an A320 Captain with JetBlue Airways. They have two sons.