Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau will step down by the end of the third quarter, the airline said on Monday. The announcement comes after the CEO faced intense criticism for issuing a video statement on a deadly runway collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, where an Air Canada Express jet struck an airport fire truck on March 22, killing both pilots.
What did Rousseau say in the video
In the video, Rousseau expressed his “deepest sorrow for everyone affected,” but spoke almost entirely in English, using only “bonjour” at the beginning and “merci” at the end, with French subtitles provided.
The response in Quebec was immediate. The provincial legislature unanimously passed a 92–0 motion calling for his resignation as the anger over the perceived disregard for French in a province where it is the majority language.
The controversy also carried emotional weight, as one of the deceased pilots, Antoine Forest, was from Quebec, Air Canada, headquartered in the Montreal region, is bound by Canada’s Official Languages Act, which mandates equal service in both English and French.
This is not the first time Rousseau has faced scrutiny over language issues. In 2021, shortly after becoming CEO, he delivered a speech to Montreal business leaders largely in English and later remarked he had lived in the city for over a decade without speaking French.
Quebec’s legislature against Rousseau
Earlier, Quebec’s legislature has passed a vote demanding that Air Canada’s chief executive officer resign over his failure to speak French in a video about deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport.
The statement in the legislature, known as the National Assembly, called on CEO Michael Rousseau to leave his post over a “lack of respect for the French language, Quebec families in mourning, and all Francophones across the province.” The vote of elected members was 92 in favour of the motion and none against, with one abstention.
An Air Canada Express jet flew from Montreal to New York last week. After landing, it collided with an airport fire truck, killing both pilots. A system designed to help air traffic controllers monitor vehicles and airplanes on the ground failed to alert personnel at LaGuardia.
By federal law, Air Canada is a bilingual company and must provide services in French and English. More than 1,800 complaints regarding the video had been received by the federal Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages as of early Thursday afternoon.
Rousseau apologised. “I am deeply saddened that my inability to speak French has diverted attention from the profound grief of the families and the great resilience of Air Canada’s employees,” he said.
“Despite many lessons over several years, unfortunately, I am still unable to express myself adequately in French. I sincerely apologize for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve,” the CEO added.