Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau to Step Down Amid Language Controversy

Mon Mar 30 2026 16:48:25 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Michael Rousseau, CEO of Air Canada, announces his retirement following backlash over his English-only condolence message after a tragic collision at LaGuardia Airport, igniting debates on language and leadership in Canada.

Michael Rousseau, the CEO of Air Canada, has decided to retire after facing criticism for delivering a condolence message exclusively in English related to a fatal crash involving the airline at LaGuardia Airport, which killed two pilots. Responding to public pressure and political backlash, Rousseau acknowledged his struggles with French despite taking lessons and expressed regret that his language skills distracted from the tragedy. He plans to step down by the end of the third quarter of the year.

The CEO of Air Canada will retire later this year after facing backlash for failing to speak French in a condolence video following last week's fatal collision at LaGuardia Airport that killed two of the airline's pilots.

Michael Rousseau informed the airline that he will be stepping down by the end of the company's third quarter, Air Canada said in a statement on Monday.

Rousseau had faced calls to resign after delivering his condolences in English only. One of the pilots who died, Antoine Forest, was from French-speaking Quebec.

He later apologized and said he was unable to express himself adequately in French—an official language in Canada—despite taking lessons over the years.

Announcing his retirement, Rousseau said: It has been my great honour to work with the dedicated and talented people of Air Canada and to represent our outstanding organisation. I look forward to supporting our company during this important transition period.

In the same statement, Air Canada said Rousseau was stepping down after nearly two decades of strong and dedicated leadership with the airline, which is headquartered in Montreal.

Rousseau's English-only condolence video was criticized by Canadian politicians, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said it showed a lack of compassion. Quebec Premier François Legault stated he believed Rousseau should step down if he was unable to speak French.

The condolence video was released after an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia airport shortly after landing, resulting in the tragic deaths of Forest and another pilot, Mackenzie Gunther. Rousseau expressed deepest sorrow for everyone affected in the video, which was posted on X and included both English and French subtitles.

He was quickly criticized afterward for failing to speak French in it and was summoned to Ottawa by Canada's parliamentary committee on Official Languages to explain himself before MPs.

Rousseau later issued a written statement in both English and French, expressing deep sorrow that his inability to speak French diverted attention from the pilots' grieving families and Air Canada staff. He mentioned that despite many lessons over the years, his French remained weak.

I sincerely apologise for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve, he added. Rousseau, who lives in Montreal but is an anglophone, has faced scrutiny for his French language skills since his appointment as CEO of Air Canada in 2021.

Air Canada, a former federal public corporation now private since 1988, is subject to Canada's Official Languages Act, requiring that announcements on board planes be made in both English and French.