Air Canada CEO to step down after backlash over his English-only crash message
cbsnews.com • • business
Key Points:
- Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau announced he will retire by the end of September, shortly after facing criticism for delivering an English-only condolence message following a deadly crash in New York.
- The March 22 crash involved an Air Canada Jazz flight from Montreal that collided with a fire-and-rescue vehicle at LaGuardia Airport, killing both pilots, including French-speaking Quebecer Antoine Forest.
- Rousseau's English-only condolence message, with French subtitles, sparked backlash from Canadian officials and the public, leading to calls for his resignation and hundreds of complaints to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
- Air Canada, legally required to provide bilingual service, stated it will seek a new CEO capable of communicating in French, reflecting the airline's Quebec roots and Canada's bilingual status.
- Quebec Premier François Legault highlighted Rousseau's previous promise to learn French when appointed president in 2021, amid ongoing sensitivities surrounding Quebec's cultural and linguistic identity.
