Relief in Quebec after announcement of Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau’s departure

Quebec’s political class welcomed on Monday the decision of unilingual Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau to retire within the coming months.

Outgoing Premier François Legault, along with the two candidates vying to succeed him, Christine Fréchette and Bernard Drainville, all three expressed their satisfaction.

“It was the only sensible thing to do,” Drainville wrote on social media platform X. “The next Air Canada CEO must speak French. It’s a matter of respect.”

Fréchette also made clear that Quebec would be watching the choice of the new Air Canada CEO closely, saying the successful candidate must be bilingual.

“The company is subject to the Official Languages Act,” she noted. “It’s time that was reflected all the way to the top of the organization.”

“It’s the only credible decision that is respectful of francophones, Quebecers and the National Assembly, and the only one that would finally send the signal that things are changing,” she added.

According to the minister responsible for the French Language, Jean-François Roberge, “Michael Rousseau had no choice but to leave his position as CEO of Air Canada.”

“The next CEO must be able to express himself in French from the moment of his appointment. That is non-negotiable,” he said.

Quebec Liberal Party leader Charles Milliard echoed that sentiment Monday.

“It is clear that what happens next is now up to the board of directors. They will need to make a choice that meets the expectations of Quebecers. The next CEO will have to be bilingual,” he said.

For his part, Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon reacted by saying Rousseau was “the symptom” and not “the cause” of the “disrespect for francophones in Canadian institutions.”

“I maintain today that we would be wrong to think that the Rousseau case is an isolated episode that has now been resolved for good,” he wrote on social media.

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said she noted that Air Canada was losing its CEO as a result of a “major linguistic crisis.”

“There is a social contract with Canada regarding official languages. Now, as francophones, we expect that social contract to be respected.”

An “appropriate” decision, according to Carney

Visiting Toronto Monday morning, Prime Minister Mark Carney called Rousseau’s decision to step down “appropriate.”

“He did a good job technically as CEO, but we have broader responsibilities as the leader of an organization,” he commented.

According to Carney, it is “absolutely essential” that Rousseau’s successor be “completely” bilingual.

“This should have been settled once and for all years ago, but recent events have shown that was not the case,” he added in English.

Earlier, his Quebec lieutenant minister, Joël Lightbound, had also congratulated Michael Rousseau for making “the right decision.”

His colleague, federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, took the opportunity to thank Rousseau for his years of service.

He also praised “his contribution to maintaining Canada’s position as a leader in international air travel.”

“The government (...) will continue to work closely with Air Canada’s management and board to ensure the company offers safe, reliable, affordable and bilingual service to all Canadians,” he said.

NDP leader Avi Lewis said “it is essential to have bilingual leaders, especially for a very important national company that is based in Quebec.”

Condolences in English that did not go over well

Early Monday morning, Air Canada announced in a press release that Michael Rousseau had informed the board of his decision to retire by the end of the third quarter of 2026.

“In the process of evaluating candidates, the Board will review a number of performance criteria, including the ability to communicate in French,” the company was careful to specify.

Several politicians had been calling for Rousseau’s head after a condolence video was recorded in which he could be heard saying only “bonjour” and “merci” in French.

He was responding to the accident that occurred one week ago on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport in New York, in which two pilots — including one from Quebec — were killed.

Rousseau had also received a rebuke from Prime Minister Carney, who criticized his “lack of judgment and compassion.”

The executive had also been summoned before the official languages committee, since, even though Air Canada was privatized in 1988, it remains subject to the Official Languages Act.

The Air Canada CEO had apologized in writing, but admitted that despite his efforts, he remained unable to express himself adequately in French.

His act of contrition did not calm the debate, however: in Quebec City, the CAQ government passed a unanimous motion last Thursday calling for his resignation.

A heavy track record

Rousseau carries a heavy track record of linguistic controversies, as does his company, which receives numerous complaints year after year over its lack of French-language services.

In 2021, the CEO sparked a wave of indignation after delivering a speech in Montreal that was essentially entirely in English.

He subsequently apologized, clarifying that he had not meant to show disrespect toward Quebecers and francophones across the country.

He also committed to improving his French, but three years after that controversy, he remained unable to answer questions in the language.

By Caroline Plante, with files from Mathieu Paquette in Montreal and Patrice Bergeron in Quebec City

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 30, 2026.