Air Canada Names 6-Language Anko Van der Werff CEO After French Backlash
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8
Air Canada Names 6-Language Anko Van der Werff CEO After French Backlash
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8
Summary
Anko Van der Werff, now head of Scandinavian Airlines, will replace Michael Rousseau as Air Canada chief executive, with the carrier stressing that he speaks six languages including French.
French fluency became central after Rousseau drew repeated criticism in Quebec for failing to learn the language despite a 2021 pledge, even though French and English have equal legal status in Canada.
March's Air Canada Express crash at New York's LaGuardia intensified that backlash when Rousseau used only “bonjour” and “merci” in a video after two pilots were killed, prompting condemnation from Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Air Canada faces particular pressure because federal law requires bilingual service nationwide, and its 1988 privatization deal kept the airline headquartered in Montreal, the center of French-speaking Quebec.