Air Canada has announced that CEO Michael Rousseau will retire by the end of this year’s third quarter on Monday morning.
The news comes after backlash from political leaders last week over Rousseau’s English-only video condolences after the deadly Air Canada crash at LaGuardia Airport that killed two of the airlines pilots, including one from Quebec.
“The Board has had a longstanding focus on CEO succession planning. Consistent with this priority, work has been underway for more than two years on a comprehensive internal development program for high potential executives,” Air Canada’s statement reads.
Get breaking National news
Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won’t miss a trending story.
“An external global search was also commenced in January 2026 to identify potential additional candidates with the skills, and experience to lead Canada’s national airline, proudly headquartered in Montréal, Québec.”
Rousseau has been the CEO of Air Canada since February 2021.
Prime Minister Mark Carney had criticized Rousseau’s English-only crash condolences last week, saying he was “very disappointed.”
“It doesn’t matter the circumstances but particularly in these circumstances: a lack of judgment and a lack of compassion,” Carney told reporters on Thursday morning, speaking first in French before repeating the criticisms in English.
“We live in a bilingual country. Companies like Air Canada, particularly, have a responsibility to always communicate in both official languages, regardless of the situation.”
More to come.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.