Michael Rousseau, the CEO of Air Canada, announced his resignation on Monday, days after he was criticized for sending out a condolence message that was nearly entirely in English following a deadly accident involving an Air Canada aircraft at LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Mr. Rousseau, who was named CEO in 2021, would retire by the end of the third quarter, the airline said in a statement. According to the statement, company directors will assess potential successors based on a number of criteria, including the ability to communicate in French. English and French are the two official languages of Canada. With its headquarters located in Montreal, Air Canada must provide services in both languages.
After arriving at LaGuardia on March 22, an Air Canada Express aircraft from Montreal struck an airport fire truck, killing both pilots and wounding numerous others. Antoine Forest, one of the pilots, was from Quebec.
After releasing a film that was mostly in English with some French, Mr. Rousseau, 68, came under fire for saying “bonjour” and “merci,” which were seen as disparaging of Canadians who spoke French. Politicians soon expressed their displeasure, claiming that Mr. Rousseau’s lack of proficiency in French demonstrated a lack of connection to a sizable section of the populace.
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