politics
March 30, 2026
Air Canada CEO to resign after backlash to video tribute of pilots killed in crash
Michael Rousseau faced mockery for speaking English and not French while addressing fatal LaGuardia airport crash
TL;DR
- Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau will retire by the end of Q3 2026.
- Rousseau faced backlash for a video tribute to pilots killed in a crash, where he spoke mostly English.
- The incident occurred shortly after a fatal collision at LaGuardia airport involving an Air Canada Jazz flight and a fire truck.
- Criticism stemmed from Rousseau's limited French proficiency, despite Air Canada being headquartered in Montreal and Canada's Official Languages Act requiring services in both English and French.
- The prime minister expressed disappointment, and thousands of complaints were filed with the commissioner of official languages.
- Quebec politicians passed a motion calling for Rousseau's resignation.
- Rousseau had previously faced criticism for speaking only English in Quebec and stated he had lived in Montreal for 14 years without needing to learn French.
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