Air Canada CEO under fire over message about LaGuardia plane crash

WorldPolitics
26 Mar 2026 • 12:43 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has criticised Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau for his "lack of compassion" in a condolence video after a deadly plane crash in New York.
  • Rousseau's four-minute video, released after a crash at LaGuardia airport killed two pilots, included only two French words despite one pilot being a French-speaking Quebecer.
  • Air Canada is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, where French is the primary language, and Rousseau has faced previous criticism for not speaking French.
  • The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has received hundreds of complaints about the video, which was delivered in English with French subtitles.
  • Rousseau has been summoned to testify before Parliament’s official languages committee, with ministers highlighting the importance of bilingual communication and empathy.

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