Air Canada CEO Resigns Over Bilingual Blunder

0:00On March 31st, Air Canada's CEO, Michael Russo, is stepping down after a storm over his English-only video message following a deadly plane crash. The collision happened on March 22nd at La Guardia Airport in New York, as a flight for Montreal tried to land. It killed the two pilots, the first fatal incident for the airline in over 40 years, and injured dozens of passengers. A day later, Russo posted a four-minute video offering condolences mostly in English, with subtitles in both languages. That sparked a media backlash, especially in Quebec, where one pilot's family lives. Politicians there called it disrespectful and pushed for his resignation, while the official languages commissioner got flooded with complaints. Canada's bilingual culture runs deep, and Air Canada, as the National Carrier, has legal duties to use both English and French. It's been fine before for slipping up, like English-only signs on flights. Russo, whose lived in Montreal for years, has struggled with French despite lessons, and

1:03it made headlines when he became CEO in 2021. Russo later apologized, saying his words took focus from the grieving families and admitting his French is still weak. Just days after, at age 68, Air Canada announced he'll retire by September. The airline insists it's just natural timing, but many doubt they've given the uproar. They are now searching for a new CEO, stressing French skills among the must-haves. This saga highlights how seriously Canada takes its two official languages, keeping the national conversation balanced as ever. Stay informed with Global News today, AI-powered updates.