Air Canada CEO faces struggle session in Parliamentary committee for failing to offer condolences to families of dead pilots in French

Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau is being summoned to Ottawa after delivering a condolence message in English following a fatal runway collision in New York involving an Air Canada plane. The move comes after backlash from politicians and dozens of complaints, and it’s already stirring up debate again.

A parliamentary committee voted Tuesday to call Rousseau to testify over a four-minute video message released after the crash at LaGuardia Airport. The airline executive spoke almost entirely in English, using only “bonjour” and “merci” in French.

“The ten elected members of the committee unanimously adopted a motion to ask the CEO of Air Canada to come and explain himself,” the Official Languages Committee said in a statement.

The video was posted after Air Canada Express Flight 8646 struck a fire truck on the runway late Sunday. The collision killed both pilots, including Quebec native Antoine Forest, and left more than 40 people injured.

In the message, Rousseau said he was “deeply saddened” and described the incident as a "very dark day" for the airline.

Air Canada issued a statement defending the decision. “Mr. Rousseau felt it was important to personally address our customers, our employees, and those of Jazz, their families, and all those affected in any way. He therefore recorded a message before leaving for the crash site,” the airline said.

The statement added, “Despite his efforts, his ability to speak French does not allow him to convey such a sensitive message as effectively as he would have liked in that language. We have therefore used subtitles to ensure everyone can receive his message directly.” The airline also noted that all factual updates shared in the video were made available online in both English and French.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages had received 84 complaints related to the video. 

“In light of this sad and gross lack of respect towards the loved ones and family of the pilot from Coteau-du-Lac, Antoine Forest, a French-speaking Quebecer, the head of Air Canada must very seriously ask himself whether he has not clearly disqualified himself for the position he holds,” Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet wrote in an online post.

This is not the first time Rousseau has faced scrutiny over language use. In 2022, he appeared before the same parliamentary committee after speaking mostly in English during a public address and later saying he had not needed to learn French while living in Montreal.

“I admit that I made a mistake by not learning to speak French when I joined Air Canada and I am correcting that mistake at this point,” Rousseau told the committee at the time.

Prime Minister Mark Carney weighed in on the situation on Wednesday, siding with French speakers: "It doesn't matter the circumstances, but particularly in these circumstances, lack of judgment and lack of compassion," he said, adding that he was "very disappointed."