Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed strong disapproval of Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau’s response to a fatal aviation accident that occurred at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening. The incident involved an Air Canada Jazz flight that collided with a fire truck on the runway, resulting in the deaths of two pilots: Antoine Forest, a French-speaking resident of Quebec, and Mackenzie Gunther.
Rousseau released a four-minute video message of condolence that was presented entirely in English, with French subtitles accompanying the remarks. The video contained only two French words — “bonjour” and “merci.” Carney stated that the response demonstrated insufficient compassion and poor judgment, emphasizing that Canada’s status as a bilingual nation requires Air Canada, headquartered in Montreal, to communicate in both official languages under all circumstances.
Quebec Premier François Legault called for Rousseau’s resignation, noting that when the CEO was appointed to his position in February 2021, he had committed to learning French. Legault characterized Rousseau’s apparent lack of French proficiency as disrespectful to employees and French-speaking customers. Federal Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet similarly urged the airline’s board to remove Rousseau from his position, describing the situation as an affront to Quebec society. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages reported receiving hundreds of complaints regarding the video.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly highlighted that many victims and their families are francophones and argued that Rousseau’s message lacked empathy and moral leadership. Rousseau has faced prior criticism for his limited French language abilities. A spokesperson for Air Canada did not immediately provide a response. The CEO has been called to testify before Parliament’s official languages committee.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI