Air Canada CEO Issues Apology Over English-Only Message

By Paul Vieira

OTTAWA--Air Canada Chief Executive Michael Rousseau issued an apology Thursday about his inability to speak French after facing sharp criticism from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Rousseau delivered this week an English-only video message, with French subtitles, about the fatal collision involving an Air Canada Express flight at LaGuardia Airport, killing the two pilots onboard. In the message, he offered condolences to families involved and provided an update on the crash investigation.

"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," Rousseau said in a statement.

"Despite many lessons over several years, unfortunately, I am still unable to express myself adequately in French. I sincerely apologize for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve," Rousseau said.

Carney said Wednesday that Rousseau demonstrated a "lack of judgment, a lack of compassion" by delivering an English-only video message, adding he also wanted to hear from the airline's board regarding the CEO's language skills.

Air Canada, a former state-owned airline that was privatized over three decades ago, is obligated under Canadian law to have its headquarters in Montreal and offer all services in both English and French. No other air carrier faces such a legal obligation.

Rousseau's inability to speak French caused a public-relations headache for the company in 2021, when the CEO said his work schedule hadn't allowed time for him to learn and master French. At the time, the board chairman said Rousseau had started intensive French training and that his language skills would be part of his annual evaluation.

In its 2025 management-proxy circular, the company said six of the seven members of its executive committee are bilingual, and Rousseau "has continued to act on his personal pledge to learn French."

The criticism of Rousseau comes as the governing Liberals are looking to win a special election in Quebec next month that would help give the Carney-led minority government a majority of seats in the legislature. Politicians and commentators in French-speaking Quebec have criticized Rousseau's message, saying it demonstrates a lack of respect to the province.

Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 26, 2026 08:58 ET (12:58 GMT)