Air Canada

Michael Rousseau faced mockery for speaking English and not French while addressing fatal LaGuardia airport crashThe head of Canada’s largest airline is stepping down after his video tribute to pilots killed in a fatal collision became a public relations nightmare for Air Canada, prompting a wave of mockery and indignation at him from both the public and politicians for not speaking French.Air Canada’s CEO, Michael Rousseau, will retire by the end of the third quarter of 2026, the company said Monday. He will continue to lead the company and serve on the board of directors until that time, the carrier said. Continue reading...

Michael Rousseau says his lack of French overshadowed families’ grief after Mark Carney and Quebec denounced his videoSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe chief executive of Air Canada has apologized for his inability to express himself in French after politicians called for his resignation for his English-only message of condolence after Sunday’s deadly crash in New York.Air Canada’s CEO, Michael Rousseau, has been criticized for the four-minute condolence video posted online that included only two French words – “bonjour” and “merci”. Continue reading...

The prime minister says the condolence video after the fatal LaGuardia crash revived anger over linguistic rightsCanada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has said a decision by Air Canada’s top executive to post an English-only message of condolence after a deadly crash in New York showed a “lack of judgment, a lack of compassion”.Amid growing calls for his resignation, the airline chief’s misstep has once again revived frustrations and fears over linguistic rights protections in the province of Quebec, where French is the only official language. Continue reading...