Overview
- Air Canada said Monday that Michael Rousseau, 68, will retire by the end of the third quarter of 2026 while continuing to lead through a transition.
- The move followed outrage over his condolence video about the March 22 LaGuardia runway collision, which killed pilots Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, delivered almost entirely in English with only “bonjour” and “merci” in French.
- Quebec’s National Assembly voted 92–0 to urge his resignation, and the federal languages watchdog logged more than 1,800 complaints about the video.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney called the message a lack of judgment and said Air Canada must communicate in both official languages.
- The airline, which must serve customers in English and French under federal law, said its board began an external search in January and will assess candidates on French communication.