Air Canada CEO’s lack of respect outweighs his lack of French, crisis management expert says

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The CEO of Canada’s largest airline remains under fire from multiple fronts this week following a botched expression of condolence and a subsequent fumbled apology. 

In the days since two young pilots, Captain Antoine Forest and first officer Mackenzie Gunther died in a fatal runway collision at LaGuardia Airport, their deaths have increasingly been eclipsed by a national debate over whether Rousseau’s French-language skills meet the expectations of his own company, the public, or the government.

According to one crisis management expert, Rousseau is now navigating a double-edged PR disaster: first for his failure to honour the pilots in both of Canada’s official languages and second for a follow-up apology that many feel missed the mark.

Louis Aucoin, president of Aucoin Stratégie et Communication, suggests the issue is one of respect rather than just language barriers. 

He noted that what should have been a textbook message of compassion devolved into two distinct crises: one of respect and another of transparency.

In a four-minute video published online Monday, Rousseau delivered his condolences almost entirely in English, speaking only two words in French: “Bonjour” and “Merci.”

As of the morning of March 27, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) had received 2,195 complaints about the CEO’s message. 

According to Air Canada, Rousseau has undergone roughly 300 hours of French training since a similar backlash in 2021. 

Quebec’s National Assembly overwhelmingly passed a motion on Thursday calling for Rousseau’s resignation, with MNAs arguing that his inability to speak French reflects a lack of respect for francophones across the country.

Earlier on Thursday, Rousseau had addressed the brevity of his French remarks in a written statement, noting that he is unable to express himself adequately in French and that he is continuing his “efforts to improve.”

The linguistic divide is especially poignant given that Forest was a native of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., a town of over 7,000 residents that is mainly French-speaking.

Moreoever, Air Canada — formerly a Crown corporation — is headquartered in Montreal, where French is the sole official language.

Language requirements

Air Canada’s Official Languages Policy serves as a “guide for all employees to fulfill our linguistic obligations,” according to the carrier’s linguistic action plan for 2024-27.

All Air Canada employees and business partners acting on the company’s behalf must comply with the procedures outlined in the policy, the action plan says.

Namely, the policy “establishes that all communications to the public and all events organized by Air Canada are in both official languages.”

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On Thursday morning, Jean-François Roberge, Quebec’s minister for the French language, tabled a motion at the National Assembly demanding Michael Rousseau’s resignation. It was adopted almost unanimously, with one abstention.

While the OCOL declined to comment on Rousseau’s case since the body is currently assessing the complaints, a spokesperson confirmed that Air Canada is subject to the Official Languages Act in its entirety, which includes services and communications with the public and language of work.

“We would like to reiterate that bilingualism is an essential skill for any leader … especially in crisis situations, where it is crucial to be able to speak to all Canadians in a clear, fair and respectful manner,” the spokesperson wrote in an email on Thursday.

Meanwhile, aviation industry expert John Gradek said it is difficult to tell whether Air Canada’s board will take the Quebec National Assembly motion seriously.

“The board had this issue fve years ago and they made the choice to keep Mr. Rousseau,” Gradek said referring to the 2021 controversy.

A question of respect

Aucoin argues that Rousseau’s claim that he is “unable” to speak the language lacks credibility when he could have simply read a prepared statement in French.

“Now, we have a communication crisis based on a question of truth, a question of ethics,” Aucoin said.

“If you’re real about compassion, you’ve got to talk to the people that you want to receive this message,” Aucoin added.

He said Rousseau could use his next public appearance to right the wrong.

The Air Canada CEO is expected to face further scrutiny when he appears before the Official Languages Committee to explain why he spoke only in English when he offered his condolences.