MONTREAL –– Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau has announced he will step down later this year following widespread backlash over an English-only video statement issued after a fatal aviation incident in New York.
The airline confirmed that Rousseau will retire by the end of the third quarter, after criticism intensified over his response to the March 22 crash involving an Air Canada Express flight at LaGuardia Airport, which resulted in the deaths of two pilots.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Rousseau released a video expressing condolences to those affected. However, the statement was delivered almost entirely in English, with only brief French greetings and closing remarks. While French subtitles were included, the approach drew sharp criticism, particularly in Quebec, where language rights are a sensitive and highly significant issue.
The controversy escalated when Quebec’s provincial legislature unanimously passed a motion calling for Rousseau’s resignation, highlighting expectations for bilingual communication from national institutions.
As Canada’s largest airline, Air Canada is subject to the Official Languages Act, which requires federally regulated entities to provide equal services in both English and French. The company is also headquartered in the Montreal region, where French is the predominant language.
Public reaction was further intensified by the fact that one of the pilots killed in the crash, Antoine Forest, was from Quebec, adding emotional weight to concerns over language representation in the airline’s response.
This is not the first time Rousseau has faced criticism over language issues. In 2021, shortly after becoming CEO, he drew backlash after delivering a speech in Montreal primarily in English and remarking on his ability to live in the city without speaking French.
The latest development underscores the ongoing importance of bilingualism in Canada’s public and corporate spheres, particularly for organizations operating under federal legislation.
Air Canada has not yet announced a successor, but the leadership transition comes at a sensitive time for the airline as it manages both operational and reputational challenges following the recent crash.