Transat is us

Martine Olivier has the world’s nicest office. Although it’s only 10 square feet in size, it has an unsurpassed view. “Crossing the Atlantic on a clear, starry night is magic,” exclaims the Airbus 310 pilot, adding: “But what I like most about my work is that it’s never routine.”

Martine has been flying for Air Transat since February 2006, ferrying her passengers to Europe in summer and sun destinations in winter. On one day, she can fly a plane to Rome, then travel to London to pilot another to Vancouver, before returning home to Montreal. A few days break and it is off again to Amsterdam, Paris or Barcelona. 

Not routine, for sure, but “office hours” that can be hard to manage, especially when you are the mother of a five-year-old girl and your spouse is also a pilot. “It’s not easy to manage your sleep with the time difference,” she points out. And when you’ve got some time off while you’re abroad, do you sleep or do some sightseeing? Tough choice!

In the cockpit, Martine is always alert, ready to deal with the unexpected. With her intensive training - a year of flying school, thousands of hours at the controls of Metroliners, Embraers, Boeings and other aircraft, as well as rigorous training on a flight simulator training every six months - she is always poised to handle the most delicate situations...

“At the beginning, I was told it would be hard, that I’d be hassled because I was a woman. But it really didn’t happen. When I enter the cockpit, I’m a pilot. I have work to do and a feeling of mutual respect sets in.” And Martine is no longer alone – today Air Transat has some 10 women among its 350 pilots.

Martine, who served as an Air Transat flight attendant in the 1990s, is very proud of the growth of this Quebec enterprise. “It’s a very established and respected company that offers us a wide variety of vacation destinations. And it’s also very pleasant to be able to speak French in the cockpit!”