Air Canada CEO summoned to Ottawa over English-only condolence video for LaGuardia crash

The head of Canada's largest airline has been summoned to Ottawa to explain why he spoke only in English when he offered his condolences to the families of those killed or hurt in the collision between a plane and a fire truck at a New York City airport on Sunday.

The Official Languages ​​Committee voted on Tuesday afternoon to call Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau to the capital to answer for a four-minute online video in which he spoke only two words in French.

"The ten elected members of the committee unanimously adopted a motion to ask the CEO of Air Canada to come and explain himself," the committee said in a statement. ---More...

???? BREAKING

Two pilots are dead.

43 people injured.

Ottawa’s response?

Summon the Air Canada CEO to Parliament because his condolence video wasn’t in French.

These people are a joke.

We are beyond parody. pic.twitter.com/juIYJ8WHdh

— Mario Zelaya (@mario4thenorth)March 25, 2026

Two pilots are dead.

43 people injured.

Ottawa’s response?

Summon the Air Canada CEO to Parliament because his condolence video wasn’t in French.

These people are a joke.

We are beyond parody.