Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau to Retire Following French Language Controversy

Air Canada chief executive Michael Rousseau announced his retirement on Monday, effective by the end of the third quarter of 2026, after a language scandal erupted over his English-only condolence video following a fatal aircraft collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport that killed two pilots on March 22, 2026. The announcement came roughly one week after an Air Canada Express jet collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia, killing pilots Antoine Forest, a French-speaking Quebecer, and Mackenzie Gunther, whose mother tongue was English. Rousseau's three-minute, 44-second video statement — fewer than 500 words in total — contained only two French words: "bonjour" at the opening and "merci" at the close. The flight had originated from Montreal, the largest city in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, and the video drew hundreds of complaints almost immediately after it was posted online. Air Canada's board confirmed the retirement and said a process was underway to identify a successor, with the board having already worked on a succession plan for two years, according to board chairman Vagn Sørensen.

Prime minister and Quebec premier both condemned the CEO Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was among the first senior politicians to publicly condemn Rousseau's message, telling broadcaster CBC that the absence of French demonstrated a "lack of compassion and judgment" and that people were right to be "very disappointed." „We proudly live in a bilingual country, and companies like Air Canada particularly have a responsibility to always communicate in both official languages, regardless of the situation” — Mark Carney via Politico Carney added on Monday that "it is essential that the next CEO of Air Canada is bilingual" and described Rousseau's retirement as "appropriate," while also acknowledging that Rousseau "was an effective operator of the airline." Quebec Premier François Legault went further, calling outright for Rousseau's dismissal and noting that the CEO had promised to learn French when he was appointed to the top job in 2021. Legault said the failure to do so showed "a lack of respect." La Caisse, the Quebec pension manager with influence in the province's boardrooms, also weighed in, telling Bloomberg News that "there is no doubt that the video should have been in both official languages." The political stakes were underscored by Politico's reporting that Carney's Liberals hold only a two-seat deficit from a parliamentary majority, with a key special election pending in Terrebonne, a Montreal suburb near Air Canada's headquarters, where the Liberals previously won by a single vote against the Bloc Québécois.

Rousseau had faced French criticism since his 2021 appointment Rousseau's language difficulties were not new. When he was appointed chief executive in 2021, a journalist asked him in French how he had managed to live in Montreal with such limited French proficiency, and Rousseau asked the reporter to repeat the question in English. He then said, according to NRC's reporting, "I have been able to live in Montreal without speaking French, I think that says a lot about Montreal." That remark drew immediate criticism and prompted him to apologize and promise French lessons. He also faced criticism for speaking almost exclusively in English before the Greater Montreal Chamber of Commerce. After the LaGuardia video, Rousseau apologized again, saying he was saddened that his limited French had "diverted attention from the deep pain" of the bereaved. „Despite many lessons over several years, unfortunately I still cannot express myself properly in French. I sincerely apologize for that, but I continue my efforts to improve” — Michael Rousseau via Deutsche Welle Air Canada, which was privatized in 1988 after originating as a government-owned company, remains legally required to offer services in both English and French. 80 (percent) — share of Quebec residents who speak French Canada has 22 (percent) — share of Canadians who consider French their first language, representing approximately eight million people, according to Politico.

Air Canada was founded in 1937 as a state-owned carrier and was privatized in 1988. Because the airline was built with public money and operates out of Quebec, Parliament has long required it to offer services in both English and French. Canada enshrined English and French as its two official languages at the federal level, and official government communication has been bilingual since the passage of the Official Languages Act. The language issue in Quebec traces its roots to the British conquest of the region following the Seven Years' War, which ended in 1763, when the predominantly French-speaking territory came under British rule, according to Deutsche Welle.

Bilingual internal candidates positioned to succeed Rousseau Air Canada's board has begun both an internal review and an external search for Rousseau's replacement. Two internal candidates have emerged as potential successors, according to Bloomberg: chief financial officer John Di Bert, who previously served as CFO of Bombardier and has experience navigating the internal politics of high-profile Quebec companies, and chief commercial officer Mark Galardo, who has been on the executive team for nearly a decade and has negotiated deals with Airbus. Both Di Bert and Galardo speak French. Board chairman Sørensen thanked Rousseau in a formal statement for guiding the company through the 2007-2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the acquisition of Aeroplan, and the restoration of the airline's pension plan solvency. Bloomberg reported that Air Canada has brought its long-term debt and lease liabilities down to C$8.6 billion from more than C$15 billion during the pandemic, and that trans-Atlantic passenger revenue grew four percent last year. Rousseau worked for Air Canada for approximately 20 years in total, rising from chief financial officer to vice-CEO before becoming chief executive.

Pandemic peak: 15, Current: 8.6