The Air Canada CEO, Michael Rousseau, apologized for his inability to express himself in French after a deadly plane crash in New York. He faced criticism for a four-minute condolence video posted online that included only two French words.
Rousseau stated that he is deeply saddened that his inability to speak French has diverted attention from the grief of the families and the resilience of Air Canada's employees.
Quebec's premier called on the airline executive to resign, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said it showed a lack of compassion and judgment.
The incident has sparked controversy as Canada is a bilingual country with two official languages, and Quebec is about 80% French-speaking.
Rousseau has been criticized for not speaking French previously, and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has received hundreds of complaints about his video.
