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Air Canada chief executive Michael Rousseau will step down later this year after facing intense criticism for delivering an English-only video condolence message following a plane crash that killed two Air Canada Express pilots.
The airline announced Monday that Rousseau has informed the board he plans to leave the position before October, though he will continue to lead the company and remain on its board until a successor is found. The decision comes as Canada’s largest airline begins an urgent search for new leadership amid rising fuel costs and declining cross-border travel demand.
The controversy erupted after Rousseau released a four-minute video message responding to the deadly collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, but spoke almost entirely in English, using only two French words — “bonjour” and “merci.” The airline operates under Canada’s bilingual framework, and the omission sparked widespread criticism, particularly in Quebec.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the English-only message showed a “lack of judgment and lack of compassion,” adding that the next chief executive of Air Canada should be bilingual. Quebec Premier François Legault also condemned the video as disrespectful to French-speaking employees and customers.
The Quebec National Assembly later passed a motion overwhelmingly calling for Rousseau’s resignation. Just days earlier, the airline had said he had no plans to step down.
Rousseau later apologized, saying he was “deeply saddened” that his inability to speak French had overshadowed the tragedy and the grief of victims’ families. Air Canada said he had undertaken 350 hours of French lessons and an additional 250 hours of practice scenarios to improve his language skills.
Leadership record and compensation
Rousseau, 68, became Air Canada’s CEO in February 2021, after previously serving as deputy chief executive and chief financial officer. He first joined the airline as CFO in 2007 and played a key role in improving its financial position during turbulent periods including the 2007–2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under his financial leadership, Air Canada strengthened its profit margins, improved its share price for a time, and turned its pension plan from a $3.7 billion deficit in 2013 into a $2.6 billion surplus by 2019.
Despite these financial gains, the airline has faced criticism for operational challenges. Its on-time performance ranked ninth out of ten major North American airlines last year, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Meanwhile, Air Canada’s share price remains far below its pre-pandemic peak of over $52 in early 2020, currently hovering around $17.50.
The same day the resignation announcement was made, company filings showed Rousseau received a $2.8 million bonus for 2025, increasing his total compensation to $13.1 million, up from $12.4 million the previous year.
Search for a new CEO
Air Canada had already begun an external global search for a new chief executive in January, but the requirement that candidates be able to communicate in French could narrow the field.
Governance experts say the airline may increasingly look to domestic leadership that understands Canada’s linguistic and cultural landscape. “What Air Canada should be looking for is someone who’s fluently bilingual,” said Richard Leblanc, a governance and law professor at York University.
Crash that triggered the controversy
The leadership crisis follows a deadly accident involving an Air Canada Express flight traveling from Montreal to New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The aircraft collided with a fire truck on the runway, killing pilots Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther.
The tragedy renewed scrutiny of Air Canada’s public response and highlighted the airline’s obligations under the Official Languages Act, which requires bilingual services for flights involving airports in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick.
