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Air Canada has announced that CEO Michael Rousseau will retire by the end of this year’s third quarter on Monday morning.
The news comes after backlash from political leaders last week over Rousseau’s English-only video condolences after the deadly Air Canada crash at LaGuardia Airport that killed two of the airlines pilots, including one from Quebec.
“The Board has had a longstanding focus on CEO succession planning. Consistent with this priority, work has been underway for more than two years on a comprehensive internal development program for high potential executives,” Air Canada’s statement reads.
“An external global search was also commenced in January 2026 to identify potential additional candidates with the skills, and experience to lead Canada’s national airline, proudly headquartered in Montréal, Québec.”
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Rousseau has been the CEO of Air Canada since February 2021.
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Calls for resignation of Air Canada CEO following his failure to speak French
Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday said Rousseau’s decision to retire was “appropriate.”
“It is essential that the next CEO of Air Canada is bilingual,” he told reporters at an event in Toronto.
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“That should’ve gone without saying, to begin with, but recent events have underscored the importance of that.”
Carney added Rousseau was “an effective operator of the airline and did many things, and I salute him for that, but being a leader has many responsibilities.”
Carney had criticized Rousseau’s English-only crash condolences last week, saying he was “very disappointed.”
“It doesn’t matter the circumstances but particularly in these circumstances: a lack of judgment and a lack of compassion,” Carney told reporters on Thursday.
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In those remarks, and again on Monday, the prime minister spoke first in French before repeating the criticisms in English.
“We live in a bilingual country. Companies like Air Canada, particularly, have a responsibility to always communicate in both official languages, regardless of the situation.”
More to come.
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