Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau will retire after facing strong criticism over an English-only condolence message following a deadly airport crash. Incident raised concerns in bilingual Canada, especially as one victim was from Quebec. Political leaders and officials criticised his response. Rousseau apologised, admitting his weak French skills.
Air Canada has announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Michael Rousseau, will retire later this year. The decision comes after he faced criticism for issuing a condolence message only in English following a deadly accident. The airline said Rousseau informed the board that he plans to step down by the end of the third quarter. Until then, he will continue to lead the company and remain on its board.
What sparked the backlash
The controversy began after a tragic collision on March 22 at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. An Air Canada aircraft was involved in a crash with a fire truck, which resulted in deaths.
After the incident, Rousseau released a video message to express condolences. However, the message was delivered only in English.
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This caused concern in Canada, where both English and French are official languages. Reports also noted that one of the pilots who died was from Quebec, a French-speaking region.
Importance of bilingual communication
Air Canada is based in Montreal, located in Quebec, where French is widely spoken. As a national airline, it is expected to provide services in both English and French.
The English-only message was seen by many as insensitive, especially during a time of grief. Critics said that leaders of major companies should respect the country’s bilingual identity.
Apology from the CEO
Following the backlash, Rousseau issued an apology. He said he was saddened that his limited ability to speak French had taken attention away from the families affected by the tragedy.
He admitted that despite trying to improve over the years, he is still not able to express himself properly in French. He said he would continue working on his language skills.
Political leaders react strongly
The issue also drew criticism from political leaders. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “very disappointed” with the CEO’s response.
He added that the message showed a lack of judgement and compassion. Foreign Minister Anita Anand also said that leaders in Canada, including business heads, should be able to communicate in both official languages.
Past issues over language skills
This is not the first time Rousseau has faced criticism over his French skills. In 2021, he had apologised for giving a speech mostly in English.
At that time, he said he would improve his French. However, his comments about managing without French had already caused backlash, especially in Quebec.
Search for new CEO begins
Air Canada said it has started looking for a new CEO. The board will consider several factors while choosing a replacement, including the ability to speak French. The airline said this quality will be important for leading a company that serves a bilingual country.
(With AFP inputs)
