Air Canada CEO to retire after refusing to apologize in French
Michael Rousseau will be stepping down by the close of the company's third quarter, Air Canada announced in an official statement on Monday.
The airline noted he was leaving 'after nearly two decades of strong and dedicated leadership.'
The decision followed a wave of criticism after Rousseau delivered an English-only condolence message in the wake of a tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of two pilots.
The Air Canada aircraft collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York shortly after landing, killing pilots Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther and hospitalising 41 others.
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In the condolence video posted to X, Rousseau expressed his 'deepest sorrow for everyone affected'. The message was delivered entirely in English, though French subtitles were included.
Announcing his retirement, Rousseau said: "It has been my great honour to work with the dedicated and talented people of Air Canada and to represent our outstanding organisation I look forward to supporting our company during this important transition period."
Rousseau's English-only condolence video was heavily criticised by Canadian politicians, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said it showed 'a lack of compassion.'
Forest was from French-speaking Quebec which made the language of Rousseau's response all the more charged. The airline boss was called to Ottawa by Canada's parliamentary committee on Official Languages to 'explain himself' before MPs.
Quebec Premier François Legault suggested that Rousseau should step down from his role if he was unable to speak French.
In an X post on Monday (30 March), he claimed the next CEO should speak French as a 'matter of respect for the employees, francophone customers, and all Quebecers.'
In response to the backlash, Rousseau apologised in a written statement released in both English and French, regretting that his inability to speak French 'diverted attention' from the pilots' grieving families and Air Canada staff.
"I sincerely apologise for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve," he said, adding that his French remained weak 'despite many lessons over the years.'
However, this isn't the first time Rousseau's language barrier landed him in trouble.
The anglophone faced similar criticism shortly after he was appointed as CEO of Air Canada in 2021 and issued a public commitment to improve his French.
According to Sky News, the national airline is based in Montreal and is subject to the Official Languages Act, which requires businesses to provide services in both English and French.