Air Canada CEO to retire after English-only crash message criticized

Michael Rousseau will leave the airline by the end of the third quarter after facing backlash over his response to a deadly crash.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 2:20pm

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Air Canada announced that CEO Michael Rousseau will retire later this year, following criticism over his English-only message of condolence after a deadly crash at LaGuardia Airport. The crash killed two French-speaking pilots from Quebec, and Rousseau's failure to deliver the message in both of Canada's official languages was seen as a lack of compassion and judgment, particularly for a company headquartered in the French-speaking province.

Why it matters

As Canada's largest airline, Air Canada is expected to provide bilingual service to all Canadians. Rousseau's English-only response to the crash, which killed two French-speaking pilots, was viewed as insensitive and out of touch, especially given Quebec's strong linguistic and cultural identity.

The details

The crash at LaGuardia Airport killed Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, the two pilots of an Air Canada Jazz flight from Montreal. Rousseau delivered his condolence message in English, with French subtitles, which drew hundreds of complaints to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. Quebec's premier and others called for Rousseau's resignation over the incident.

  • The crash occurred in early March 2026.
  • Rousseau announced his retirement on March 30, 2026.

The players

Michael Rousseau

The CEO of Air Canada who is retiring later this year after facing backlash over his English-only message following a deadly crash involving the airline.

Antoine Forest

One of the two French-speaking pilots from Quebec who was killed in the crash at LaGuardia Airport.

Mackenzie Gunther

The other French-speaking pilot from Quebec who was killed in the crash at LaGuardia Airport.

Mark Carney

The Prime Minister of Canada who criticized Rousseau's English-only message as showing a lack of compassion and judgment.

François Legault

The Premier of Quebec who noted that Rousseau had promised to learn French when he was appointed president of Air Canada in 2021.

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What they’re saying

“The English-only message showed a lack of compassion and judgment.”

— Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada

“When Rousseau was appointed president of the airline in February 2021, he promised to learn French.”

— François Legault, Premier of Quebec

What’s next

Air Canada's board of directors will begin the process of selecting a new CEO to replace Michael Rousseau, who will depart by the end of the third quarter of 2026.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of linguistic and cultural sensitivity, especially for a major national company like Air Canada that operates in a bilingual country. The backlash Rousseau faced underscores Quebec's strong identity and the expectation that all Canadians, including corporate leaders, should respect the country's official languages.