3 days ago
7
TORONTO (AP) — Air Canada announced Monday its CEO volition discontinue aboriginal this year, aft Michael Rousseau was criticized for his English-only connection of condolence pursuing this month’s deadly clang successful New York.
Canada’s largest airline, based successful French-speaking Quebec, said Rousseau told the committee helium volition permission by the extremity of the 3rd quarter.
Canada is an officially bilingual nation, and Prime Minister Mark Carney had said the English-only connection showed a deficiency of compassion and judgment. Quebec’s premier and others called connected the hose enforcement to resign.
Antoine Forest, 1 of the 2 pilots killed successful the clang astatine LaGuardia Airport, was a French-speaking Quebecer. Forest and Mackenzie Gunther died erstwhile the Air Canada Jazz formation from Montreal collided with a occurrence motortruck connected the runway soon aft landing.
Canada’s largest hose is headquartered successful Montreal. Rousseau antecedently had been criticized for not speaking French. He delivered his condolence video connection successful English, with French subtitles. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has received hundreds of complaints astir it.
Steven MacKinnon, Canada’s transport minister, thanked Rousseau successful a societal media station and said the authorities volition proceed to enactment intimately with Air Canada to guarantee it "provides safe, reliable, affordable, and bilingual work to each Canadians.”
Quebec Premier François Legault noted that erstwhile Rousseau was appointed president of the hose successful February 2021, helium promised to larn French.
Quebec’s individuality has been contentious since the 1760s, erstwhile the British completed their takeover of what was past called New France. Quebec is astir 80% French-speaking.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
English (US) ·