91˿Ƶ

News

Air Canada CEO was nearing retirement, but language gaffe forced his hand

Published: 7 April 2026

After two Air Canada pilots were killed in an accident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, the company’s CEO Michael Rousseau put out condolence message, but the message was only in English.

The omission of French by the unilingual Rousseau touched off a firestorm, with thousands of complaints made to Canada’s Official Languages Commissioner.

Ultimately, Rousseau resigned. He had held senior positions at Air Canada since 2007, Prof. Karl Moore told the Montreal Gazette that the uproar probably pushed his retirement forward a bit. “Some of the political leaders in Quebec got carried away calling for his head,” Moore said. “But they were right that he made a mistake. It showed a lack of judgment.” 

Back to top