Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau apologized Thursday after posting a condolence video delivered only in English following a deadly runway accident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Two Air Canada Jazz pilots were killed when the aircraft they were landing struck a fire truck on the runway. One of the pilots was from Quebec, the French-speaking province where Air Canada is headquartered in Montreal.
Rousseau’s four-minute online message, which used only the French words “bonjour” and “merci,” drew heavy criticism and calls for his resignation. In a statement, Rousseau said he was “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,” and acknowledged that, despite lessons over several years, he still could not express himself adequately in French.
Quebec Premier François Legault reminded the public that Rousseau had promised to learn French when he became the airline’s president in February 2021. Canada’s prime minister said he was “very disappointed” in the unilingual message, calling it a sign of “lack of judgement and a lack of compassion,” and noted that the country has two official languages.
Meanwhile in New York, LaGuardia administrators reopened the runway where the collision occurred. Officials said the runway and related infrastructure were repaired, inspected and confirmed to meet Federal Aviation Administration safety regulations.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation into the crash. The plane’s wreckage and the fire truck were removed from the site late Wednesday as investigators work to determine the cause.