Air Canada (TSX: AC) CEO Michael Rousseau moved to contain the fallout from his earlier post-crash remarks, saying he is “still unable to express myself adequately in French” and offering a direct apology after days of criticism that his English-only response to the fatal LaGuardia accident lacked compassion.
The statement opens by reiterating condolences to the families of the Air Canada Jazz captain and first officer killed in Sunday’s accident and says Air Canada is cooperating fully with US and Canadian authorities in the investigation.
He adds that he is “deeply saddened” his inability to speak French diverted attention from the “profound grief” of the families and from the resilience of Air Canada employees, who he says showed “outstanding professionalism” during the days following the crash.
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“Despite many lessons over several years, unfortunately, I am still unable to express myself adequately in French. I sincerely apologize for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve,” he said.
The statement also attempts to redirect attention toward Air Canada’s internal response. Rousseau thanks those who gave “the very best of themselves” in recent days to care for customers and one another while carrying the emotional burden of the tragedy.
The backlash came after Rousseau posted a four-minute video message online that included only two French words, “bonjour” and “merci,” despite one of the two dead pilots being Antoine Forest, a French-speaking Quebecker.
Beyond the two pilot deaths, six people remained in hospital as of Tuesday.
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