A memorial is shown on Wednesday for Air Canada Jazz pilot Antoine Forest, who died when his plane collided with an emergency vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press
Air Canada AC-T chief executive officer Michael Rousseau apologized Thursday for still being unable to speak French adequately five years after taking the helm of the country’s flagship carrier, as calls for his ouster intensified.
In a statement released in both English and French on newswires, Mr. Rousseau again expressed his sympathy to those affected by the fatal crash of an Air Canada Express flight at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday. And he said he regretted that his lack of French proficiency is proving to be a distraction.
“As president and chief executive officer of Air Canada, it is my duty to support those affected by this tragedy,” he said. “I am deeply saddened that my inability to speak French has diverted attention from the profound grief of the families and the great resilience of Air Canada’s employees, who have demonstrated outstanding professionalism despite the events of the past few days.”
Mr. Rousseau ignited a storm of criticism this week for a video uploaded to the airline’s website in which he expressed his “deepest sorrow for everyone affected” by the LaGuardia accident and provided a factual update of the situation. He said only two words in French in the nearly four-minute video: “Bonjour” at the start and “merci” at the end.
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Politicians in Ottawa and Quebec City reacted with disappointment and outrage for the linguistic faux pas and questions arose again about the CEO’s ability and willingness to speak French. Air Canada is headquartered in Montreal and it is subject to Canada’s Official Languages Act, meaning it has a responsibility to communicate in both English and French.
Beyond that, however, many of those hurt in Sunday’s accident were Quebeckers, as was the jet’s captain, Antoine Forest of Coteau-du-Lac, Que. He and co-pilot Mackenzie Gunther of Ontario were killed when the Air Canada Express CRJ 900 jet operated by Jazz Aviation hit a fire truck on the runway after landing. It was arriving from Montreal and carrying 72 passengers and four crew members.
“I’m so disappointed by the video message by Air Canada’s CEO,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday. “It lacks judgment and compassion.”
Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said on Thursday that Air Canada’s legal language obligation is “a solemn responsibility” the airline needs to uphold at all times. “They know better. And this has been an important incident in as much as people have recoiled from its lack of sensitivity.”
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau in Montreal in 2021.Mario Beauregard/The Canadian Press
Pension fund giant Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which holds Air Canada shares among assets under management of $517-billion, added its voice to the criticism.
“There is no doubt that the video should have been in both official languages,” the Caisse said in an e-mailed statement. “We assume that [Mr. Rousseau] continues to undertake the necessary reflection and that he will recognize the importance of the French language in all of his interventions, in all circumstances.”
Desjardins Global Asset Management, another Air Canada shareholder, echoed that view. “A bilingual video would have reflected a greater level of sensitivity,” spokesperson Véronique Breton said.
The House of Commons standing committee on official languages has summoned Mr. Rousseau to appear before May 1 to explain himself.
“Despite many lessons over several years, unfortunately, I am still unable to express myself adequately in French,” Mr. Rousseau said in his statement. “I sincerely apologize for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve.”
But in Quebec City, calls for leadership change at the airline grew even louder despite his apology.
The province’s National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion denouncing Mr. Rousseau’s “lack of respect” and calling on him to resign. It also demanded that the next CEO of Air Canada “have a sufficient command of the French language.”
The motion carries no legal weight but is sure to ramp up pressure on the airline or the executive to act.
Jean-François Roberge, Quebec’s Minister of the French Language, said Mr. Rousseau must step down. “It is the only honourable thing left for him to do,” he told reporters.
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Government House Leader Simon Jolin-Barrette said, “Michael Rousseau’s crocodile tears don’t move anyone.” He called on the two Quebec-based members of Air Canada’s board to take a stand.
It’s far from clear whether the 12-person board of directors will force Mr. Rousseau out, chiefly because they’re the ones who hired him with full knowledge of his language limitations. Still, there is likely some malaise within the company about his perceived lack of judgment.
Air Canada spokesman Christophe Hennebelle has said Mr. Rousseau is not resigning.
“It’s important that he’s at the helm” at this time, Mr. Hennebelle said on Wednesday. Air Canada is going through one of the worst events that can hit an airline, namely a fatal crash, on top of the financial strain of soaring fuel prices, he said.
Mr. Hennebelle explained that Mr. Rousseau was pressed for time when he recorded the video because he was heading to the crash site. He said the CEO wanted to convey his video message in a sensitive way and concluded he couldn’t do that in French.
“His primary aim was to speak in person,” Mr. Hennebelle said. French subtitles were used in the video.
Mr. Rousseau’s French skills have come under scrutiny before.
Not long after he became CEO in 2021, the executive made a speech to the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal that was mostly in English. Questioned by reporters after the speech, the CEO said he had managed to live in Montreal for 14 years without speaking French, and suggested he was too busy to learn the language.
His comments shocked politicians in Quebec City and Ottawa. Then-prime minister Justin Trudeau called the situation “unacceptable.”
Mr. Rousseau later apologized for the remarks and said he was beginning to take French lessons.
“The fact that this iconic company is headquartered in Montreal is a source of pride for me and our entire executive team,” he said at the time. “I reiterate Air Canada’s commitment to show respect for French and, as a leader, I will set the tone.”
With a report from The Canadian Press