Air Canada CEO Retires Amid Language Controversy

0:00It's March 31st. This is Durham News Today, powered by AI, I'm Corey with the story. Air Canada CEO, Michael Russo, is retiring by the end of the third quarter this year. The 68-year-old drew heavy fire for an English-only condoence note after a fatal crash at New York's LaGuardia Airport earlier this month. The incident involved an air-Canada jazz flight from Montreal, slamming into a fire truck right after landing, killing two pilots, one of French speaking. Quebecer named Antoine Forrest, the other Mackenzie Gunther, an officially bilingual Canada with the airline headquartered in French speaking Quebec, Prime Minister Mark Karney called the retirement appropriate, and insisted the next leader must speak French. Quebec premier François Legault praised the step down and demanded a bilingual successor. Russo promised to learn French back when he took the top job in February 2021, but never followed through amid his big paycheck. His port minister Stephen McKinnon thanked him while stressing, safe, reliable, and bilingual

1:02flights for all Canadians. Language battles run deep in Canadian politics, though some argue safety should trump tongue skills. Now air-Canada searches for a leader who can handle both runways and regional vibes.