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An Air Canada plane prepares to land at the Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal on Sept. 13, 2024. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi
Air Canada’s board of directors announced that Michael Rousseau will be retiring as CEO later this year, a week after he faced controversy over issuing an English-only condolence message following the deaths of two pilots in New York.
“It has been my great honour to work with the dedicated and talented people of Air Canada and to represent our outstanding organization. … I look forward to supporting our company during this important transition period,” Rousseau said in a March 30 press release.
Air Canada said Rousseau, who joined the airline in 2007 as its finance chief and became CEO in 2021, will continue to serve as CEO until the third quarter of 2026. The board said Rousseau had shown “nearly two decades of strong and dedicated leadership that has reinforced Air Canada’s place as a leader in the airline industry domestically and globally.”
Two pilots were killed on March 22 after a plane operated by Air Canada Express carrier Jazz Aviation collided with a fire truck while it was landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. One of the pilots, Antoine Forest, was originally from the Coteau-du-Lac in Quebec, while the other pilot, Mackenzie Gunther, was a graduate of Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto.
The plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. More than 40 passengers and crew members were injured in the collision.
Rousseau released a video statement the following day in which he said it was a “very sombre day at Air Canada” and expressed sorrow for everyone impacted by the incident. Rousseau spoke in English for the entirety of the message, except to say “bonjour” at the start of the video and “merci” at the end.
Several federal politicians subsequently criticized Rousseau for not issuing a message in French, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying he was “extremely disappointed by the message,” and Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon saying Air Canada has a legal obligation to communicate in both English and French.
Parliamentarians also summoned Rousseau to appear before the House of Commons official languages committee before May 1 to “explain himself.” The motion, tabled in the House of Commons and adopted nearly unanimously, said Rousseau’s statement was “incompatible with the obligations set out in the Official Languages Act and the expectations of the Canadian public.”
When asked about Rousseau’s retirement announcement, Carney told reporters on March 30 that Rousseau had done a “good job” in his role and was an “effective operator of the airline.” Carney also said Rousseau had made the “right decision at the right time.”
“It is essential that the next CEO of Air Canada is bilingual. That should have gone without saying to begin with, but recent events have underscored the importance of that,” Carney added.
MacKinnon also commented on Rousseau’s retirement announcement, thanking him on social media for his “years of service and his contribution to maintaining Canada’s position as a leader in international air transportation.” He added that the federal government will continue working with the airline to ensure it provides “safe, reliable, affordable, and bilingual service to all Canadians.”
