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LILLEY: Air Canada cancels CEO Michael Rousseau over language politics

Rousseau isn't retiring, he's being offered up as a sacrifice to stop the political language war that has erupted

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Michael Rousseau is “retiring” as the president and CEO of Air Canada, the company announced Monday morning. The news comes a week after Flight AC8646 crashed into a fire truck on the runway at LaGuardia airport in New York City, killing the two pilots.

Let’s be clear though — Rousseau isn’t stepping down because of that tragedy. He’s stepping down because he stepped on the language landmine.

LILLEY: Air Canada cancels CEO Michael Rousseau over language politics Back to video

Rousseau has been with Air Canada for close to 20 years, progressing from chief financial officer in 2007 through to CEO in 2021. The company’s own financial report issued just six weeks ago showed that under Rousseau’s leadership, Air Canada took in a record $22.4 billion in revenue.

Rousseau took over at a time when air travel was still being pummelled amid the pandemic, and he helped turn the airline around.

But he doesn’t speak French, and that is what matters most.

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Air Canada President and CEO Michael Rousseau provides a video statement on the tragic accident involving Air Canada Express AC8646: pic.twitter.com/ZwFibpOkj2— Air Canada (@AirCanada) March 23, 2026

Air Canada President and CEO Michael Rousseau provides a video statement on the tragic accident involving Air Canada Express AC8646: pic.twitter.com/ZwFibpOkj2

Air Canada can’t hide the truth

Despite the pleasant words from the board of directors in the news release announcing that Rousseau would “retire” by the end of the third quarter, we all know he’s being cancelled for failing to speak French in a video offering condolences after last week’s crash.

“On behalf of the entire board, I want to thank Mike for his many contributions to Air Canada,” said Vagn Sørensen, chair of Air Canada’s board of directors.

“It has been my great honour to work with the dedicated and talented people of Air Canada and to represent our outstanding organization,” Rousseau said.

All nice words, but just above them in the statement is the truth — they want a CEO who can speak French.

“The board will consider a number of performance criteria in assessing candidates including the ability to communicate in French,” the statement reads.

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French matters more than performance

Improving performance, increasing bookings, ensuring pension plans are solvent, acquiring Aeroplan, putting an emphasis on customer service – these are all well and good, but can you issue a message of condolence in French that we can post on social media when tragedy strikes?

I have no issue with companies — especially an important national one like Air Canada — wanting to find executives who are bilingual. French may be absent in much of the country but across Quebec, Northern and Eastern Ontario, and throughout New Brunswick, French is a real presence.

That said, the important thing should be that customers are served in both official languages, and the CEO is not performing customer service — he’s making sure the airline functions properly and is successful.

On that front, Michael Rousseau was a success.

But his video last week, in English only but with French subtitles, was a firing offence for the language zealots.

Political fight broke out following a tragedy

Quebec’s legislature passed a motion with a vote of 92-0 calling on Rousseau to resign. The Official Languages Committee in the House of Commons summoned Rousseau to explain his lack of French in his video.

Prime Minister Mark Carney even weighed in on the matter, expressing disappointment.

“We proudly live in a bilingual country and companies like Air Canada particularly have a responsibility to always communicate in both official languages, regardless of the situation,” Carney said last week.

Carney said the unilingual message showed a “lack of judgment and lack of compassion” and issued a warning that he would be watching Rousseau’s comments and those of the board of directors very closely.

That was a clear message to Air Canada, a highly regulated company, that the Carney government wants change, and life will be difficult if you don’t comply.

The message this sends to businesses around the world looking for a place to invest: Be careful going near Canada and especially Quebec where one wrong move can damage your company even as operations are going well. Good luck attracting investment, good luck getting the best and brightest when recruiting for top jobs like this one and others.

When tragedy struck at Air Canada, our ruling elites turned to language politics in the darkest way possible.

It’s truly sick and disturbing.

blilley@postmedia.com

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