Air Canada’s CEO is stepping down following an uproar over the English-only speech he gave in the wake of last week’s crash in New York.
Michael Rousseau delivered the majority of his speech marking the death of two of his pilots at LaGuardia Airport in English, despite the flight originating in French-speaking Montreal, where Air Canada is based, and French and English both being Canada’s national languages.
He announced Monday he would be stepping down from the position, with the airline saying in a statement that he would retire by the end of the third quarter, five years after taking the reins in 2021.
“It has been my great honour to work with the dedicated and talented people of Air Canada and to represent our outstanding organization,” Rousseau said. “I look forward to supporting our company during this important transition period.”
Critics said his speech’s incorporation of little more French than “bonjour” and “merci” showed a disconnect with the country for which his airline is the national carrier.
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “very disappointed,” according to The New York Times.
Following the speech, Rousseau issued a public apology saying, “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.”
Following the apology, the Quebec legislature voted in favor of a motion calling for his resignation.
The airline initially said that he would remain in the position.
According to the Times, Air Canada spokesperson Christophe Hennebelle said, “In a crisis such as the one we are currently facing following the tragic accident at LaGuardia, in which two pilot lives were lost, and which occurred at a time of significant fuel price volatility, it is important that Mr. Rousseau be at the helm to lead the company.”
Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther were killed when the Air Canada Express Flight 8646 collided with a fire truck on the runway.
In a statement, Federal Aviation Administration administrator Bran Bedford said, “These were two young men at the start of their career, so it’s an absolute tragedy that we’re sitting here with their loss.”
The incident also left 41 people injured, including the plane’s senior flight attendant, Solange Tremblay, who suffered “shattered legs,” with “open fractures” when she was thrown 320 feet from the plane while attached to her seat, her daughter Sarah Lépine said in a GoFundMe.
She revealed that her mother “requires skin grafts to repair the missing flesh she lost on her legs while sliding down the tarmac” and “will have to undergo several other surgeries, along with intensive rehabilitation to learn how to walk again.”
