Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau to Retire by End of Q3 2026

‍MONTRÉAL — Air Canada (AC) has announced that President and CEO Michael Rousseau will retire by the end of the third quarter of 2026, concluding nearly twenty years in senior leadership. Rousseau will continue to lead the company and serve on the board until his departure.

Air Canada stated that the board has prioritized CEO succession planning for several years, including an internal development program for high-potential executives that began over two years ago. An external global search was launched in January 2026 to identify additional candidates. The board will consider performance criteria such as the ability to communicate in French.

Board chair Vagn Sørensen credited Rousseau with guiding AC through significant periods, including the 2007–2008 financial crisis and the COVID pandemic, and advancing initiatives such as the Aeroplan acquisition, pension solvency restoration, and customer and employee priorities.

Rousseau stated he will support the company during the transition and remain available to ensure continuity. The airline is working with executive search firms Egon Zehnder and Korn Ferry to help with the transition.

One more requisite

Rousseau’s departure follows criticism earlier this month regarding his limited use of French in a video condolence message after the fatal plane crash in New York that killed two Air Canada Express pilots. The four-minute video posted online included only two French words: “bonjour” and “merci.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that releasing the video message only in English demonstrated a “lack of judgment and lack of compassion.”

Rousseau became AC's chief executive in February 2021, after serving as deputy chief executive and chief financial officer. The Canadian flag carrier stated that its board will consider several criteria when assessing candidates for the next chief executive, including the ability to communicate in French.

Canada has two official languages: English and French, which hold equal status, rights, and privileges across all federal government institutions, as established by the Official Languages Act of 1969 and the Canadian Constitution. While English is the first language for over 76% of Canadians, French is the first language for 22%, mostly in Quebec.

One of the Air Canada Express Flight 8646 pilots, Antoine Forest, was a French-speaking Quebecer from Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec. The other pilot, Mackenzie Gunther, graduated from Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto.