TORONTO — The chief executive officer of Air Canada has apologized after delivering an English-only video statement following a fatal runway collision in New York City. Michael Rousseau said in a written statement Thursday that he remains unable to communicate adequately in French.“Despite many lessons over several years, unfortunately, I am still unable to express myself adequately in French,” Rousseau said. “I sincerely apologize for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve.”The apology comes days after an Air Canada Jazz flight collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday. The crash hospitalized dozens of passengers and killed both pilots.The pilots were identified as Antoine Forest of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., and Mackenzie Gunther, a graduate of Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto..Rousseau’s initial video response, delivered only in English, drew criticism from political leaders and prompted hundreds of complaints, particularly in Quebec. Air Canada operates under federal language laws requiring services in both English and French.Quebec Premier François Legault called for Rousseau’s resignation, while Prime Minister Mark Carney said the response reflected “a lack of compassion.”The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages said it received 795 complaints related to the video as of Wednesday afternoon. Rousseau has also been called to testify before a parliamentary committee on official languages.In his statement, Rousseau expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said the controversy surrounding his language abilities had shifted focus away from those affected by the crash.“As president and chief executive officer of Air Canada, it is my duty to support those affected by this tragedy,” he said. “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.”Criticism over Rousseau’s French-language skills dates back to his appointment as CEO in 2021. Despite living in Montreal, where the airline is headquartered, for more than a decade, he has acknowledged ongoing difficulty speaking French publicly.Air Canada, originally a Crown corporation before its privatization in the late 1980s, remains subject to the Official Languages Act, which requires it to provide services in both of Canada’s official languages.
