Air Canada CEO Resigns Over Language Controversy

0:00On March 30, Air Canada's CEO, Michael Russo, is calling a quits by the end of the third quarter of 2026 after a tribute video blew. Up in his face, last week, one of their jazz flights hit a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York, killing the two pilots who heroically saved all the passengers. In the four-minute video mourning them, Russo only dropped two French words, bonjour and mercy, which sparked massive backlash. The airlines based in Montreal, Quebec, where French is the official language and bilingual service is the law. One pilot, 30-year-old Antoine Forrest, was a native French speaker, and so were several passengers. This isn't Russo's first slip-up. Back in 2021, he gave a big speech there in English only, saying after 14 years in the city, he didn't need French. Public outrage hit hard, with folks and politicians ripping into him for the lack of compassion. Prime Minister Mark Carney called it extremely disappointing.

1:01Quebec lawmakers passed a motion demanding he step down and the official languages. Commissioner got over 2000 complaints by March 27. Russo apologized, admitting his French lessons haven't stuck, despite 300 hours of study in family who speak it fluently. He said it stole focus from the grieving families. He'll stick around leading the company and on the board until his exit date, but this language fiasco has everyone talking about respect in a bilingual nation.