Michael Rousseau, the CEO of Air Canada, has announced his retirement set for later this year. The departure follows intense public and political backlash regarding his failure to speak French in a recent video addressing a fatal runway crash.
The airline confirmed in a statement on Monday that Rousseau will vacate his position by the close of the company's third quarter. His exit wraps up a nearly 20-year tenure at the Montreal-based carrier, which the company praised as an era of "strong and dedicated leadership."
Pressure for Rousseau's resignation mounted after he released a video message expressing condolences solely in English following a tragic collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport. The incident, involving an Air Canada plane and a fire truck, claimed the lives of two pilots: Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest, the latter hailing from French-speaking Quebec.
The English-only delivery drew immediate condemnation from top Canadian officials. Critics, including Mark Carney, accused the CEO of displaying a severe "lack of compassion." Meanwhile, Quebec Premier François Legault publicly stated that Rousseau's inability to speak French disqualified him from leading the national carrier. The uproar even led to Rousseau being summoned before Canada's parliamentary committee on Official Languages to explain his actions.
In a subsequent bilingual written statement, Rousseau issued an apology, expressing deep regret that his language limitations "diverted attention" away from the grieving families and affected airline staff. He admitted that despite taking extensive lessons over the years, his French skills remained insufficient to properly express his sorrow on camera.
Announcing his exit, Rousseau stated it was a "great honour" to lead the airline's talented workforce and pledged to support the organization through its upcoming transition period.
This is not the first time Rousseau's linguistic shortcomings have sparked controversy. The anglophone executive, who resides in Montreal, faced similar scrutiny regarding his French proficiency upon his promotion to chief executive in 2021. Air Canada, though a private entity since 1988, is still bound by the country's Official Languages Act, which requires the airline to serve the public in both English and French.