Air Canada CEO Resigns Over Language Controversy

0:00On March 30, Air Canada CEO Michael Russo is stepping down by the end of October after catching heat for a video message in only English, following a deadly crash. The incident involved an air-Canada express jet hitting a fire truck and New York's LaGuardia airport, killing two pilots and he skipped French. Condolences, despite it being one of Canada's official languages. Prime Minister Mark Carney called out Russo's judgment last week, prompting a quick apology from the 68-year-old exec. This isn't his first language slip-up. Back in 2021, he pledged to brush up on French after flack for an English heavy speech in Montreal. Quebec's all fired up over this, where French pride runs deep and helped fuel separatist movements decades ago. The province's legislature even passed a motion urging him to quit, and with an election coming by October, polls show the independence pushing party. Quevet quoi, poise to grab the most seats. The airlines speeding up its search for a replacement, prioritizing folks fluent in

1:01French to meet official bilingual rules. Russo steered the company through the pandemic recovery since taking the helm in February 2021, though he drew criticism for handling, a flight attendant strike last year, and shares dipped over 2% on the news. Federal Transport Minister Stephen McKinnon thanked him for his work, but stressed bilingual service going forward. The CEO's face more pressure to speak directly after tragedies, air candidates eyeing a fresh start that respects both languages in this divided nation. You've been listening to U.S. News today, AI-powered national coverage.