Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau is set to retire early, starting any time this July, following a language scandal.
A week ago, two Canadian pilots died in a freak accident at the LaGuardia Airport in New York. The two youthful pilots who were navigating an Air Canada aircraft on 22nd March this year were 30-year-old Captain Antoine Forest and 24-year-old First Officer Mackenzie Gunther.
Air Canada CEO Apologizes in English
The Air Canada CEO, who is also the airline’s president, promptly issued a message of condolences to the families of the two pilots and promised to offer any necessary support. He also empathized with Air Canada employees, whom he praised as professional and resilient.
However, Rousseau’s message of condolence was solely in English, something the public did not take kindly to. Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, also took issue with Rousseau’s failure to issue the message in French.
There has since been a lot of criticism about the CEO omitting the French version of the condolence message.
Canada has two official languages, English and French, and one of the deceased pilots, Antoine Forest, hailed from Quebec, a French-speaking province.
CEO reiterates his Condolences and offers to Step Down
This week, Rousseau reiterated his condolence message. He also explained that he had issued the statement in English only because he is not proficient in French.
He said he was sad that his omission had stolen attention from the deceased pilots and their loved ones. Air Canada has its headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada’s second-largest city.
Bran Bedford, the FAA administrator, termed the death of the young pilots a tragedy, considering they were just starting their careers. FAA is the “Federal Aviation Administration”.
How the Accident Happened
Captain Forest and First Officer Gunther had a successful flight from Montreal, carrying 72 passengers to their destination. Unfortunately, a problem cropped up on the runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
A fire truck was in the way. It had been dispatched on an emergency basis to support another incoming plane, and the Air Canada Express aircraft coming in hit it.
The traffic controller’s efforts to recall the fire truck at the last minute had been futile, hence the plane-truck accident. Fortunately, although more than 40 passengers were injured, no more fatalities were reported.