Air Canada chief executive apologizes for English-only condolence

Key Points:

• Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau apologized for his inability to speak French in a condolence video following a deadly crash, acknowledging that his English-only message diverted attention from the tragedy and the airline staff's professionalism.
• Rousseau faced calls for resignation from Quebec Premier François Legault and criticism from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who emphasized Canada's bilingual nature and expressed concern over the CEO's lack of compassion and judgment.
• The crash at LaGuardia Airport killed two pilots, including Antoine Forest, a French-speaking Quebecer, intensifying sensitivity around Rousseau's language use given Air Canada's Montreal headquarters and Quebec's predominantly French-speaking population.
• Rousseau had previously promised to learn French after a 2021 controversy over his English-only speeches but has made limited progress, leading to hundreds of complaints to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
• Opinions differ on Rousseau's priorities, with some, like former Conservative minister Jason Kenney, suggesting the CEO should focus on airline safety and reliability rather than language training.