Quebec Premier Francois Legault called on CEO Michael Rousseau to quit, saying "if he still doesn't speak French, that's disrespectful to his French-speaking employees and customers" and "he should resign".
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reprimanded Air Canada's head for issuing a video statement in English only following the tragic runway collision at LaGuardia Airport in New York that killed two pilots.
In the video uploaded on the airline's website Monday, Chief Executive Officer Michael Rousseau provided an update on the situation in English and expressed his "deepest sorrow for everyone affected." All he said in French was "bonjour" at the beginning and "merci" at the end -- captions in French at the bottom were provided.
Canada's largest airline, as a federal government-regulated entity, is subject to the Official Languages Act, requiring it to provide equal services in English and French. It's also headquartered in the Montreal region, the business and financial center of Quebec, the only Canadian province where French is the majority language.
Many French-speaking Quebecers have been quick to point out that one of the two pilots killed in the crash, Antoine Forest, was from Quebec. The Air Canada Express aircraft operated by Jazz Aviation LP flew from Montreal to New York on Sunday night and collided with an airport fire truck after landing.
"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 told reporters Wednesday. The prime minister said he was "disappointed" and that the message showed a "lack of judgment and lack of compassion."
Quebec Premier Francois Legault went further, calling on Rousseau to quit. "If he still doesn't speak French, that's disrespectful to his French-speaking employees and customers. So yes, if he doesn't speak French, he should resign," Legault said.
On Tuesday, members of Parliament expressed indignation at Rousseau's video and summoned him to appear before the official languages committee by May 1.
Air Canada said in a statement that Rousseau recorded the message "as a matter of priority before departing on a flight for the crash site," and "despite his efforts, his ability to express himself in French does not allow him to convey such a sensitive message in that language as he would wish."
This isn't the first time Rousseau has made a slip-up when it comes to the French language. In 2021, just after being appointed CEO, he gave a speech to Montreal business leaders almost entirely in English. After the event, he expressed some pride in being able to live in Montreal for more than a decade without speaking French, sparking outrage in Quebec despite an apology.
Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the situation "unacceptable."
Rousseau has since committed to learn the language and taken over 300 hours of French classes, according to Air Canada.