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Air Canada · Apology · CEO · French Language
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau apologized for his inability to speak French, facing calls for resignation from Quebec's Premier and Prime Minister Mark Carney after his English-only condolence message for a deadly plane crash involving a French-speaking pilot sparked hundreds of complaints and renewed controversy.
Rousseau's four-minute video, posted online, contained only two French words: "bonjour" and "merci." He stated, "I am deeply saddened that my inability to speak French has diverted attention from the profound grief of the families and the great resilience of Air Canada’s employees." This is not Rousseau's first language controversy; he previously apologized and pledged to learn French in November 2021 after an almost exclusively English speech, as noted by Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University. Air Canada is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, where French is the primary language, and Canada recognizes two official languages.
The crash at LaGuardia Airport killed two pilots, Antoine Forest, a French-speaking Quebecer, and Mackenzie Gunther. Quebec Premier François Legault demanded Rousseau's resignation, citing his unfulfilled promise to learn French, while Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized the CEO's lack of compassion and judgment, expecting a response from Air Canada's board of directors.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has received hundreds of complaints regarding Rousseau’s video.
