The CEO of Air Canada publicly apologized after being criticized by the Prime Minister of Canada for only expressing condolences in English.

According to Reuters, the CEO of Canadian Airlines, Ruso, publicly apologized on the 26th local time. Previously, he was sharply criticized by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau for only expressing condolences in English after a deadly crash, without using French.

On the 22nd local time, a Canadian Airlines passenger plane collided with a ground fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York, USA. The photo of the damaged aircraft was released by U.S. media on the 25th.

On the evening of the 22nd local time, a flight operated by Canadian Airlines collided with a fire truck at New York Airport, resulting in the deaths of the captain and co-pilot, and injuring more than 40 others. After the incident, Ruso issued a video statement expressing condolences to the victims and their families. However, aside from saying “Hello” at the beginning and “Thank you” at the end, he spoke entirely in English, with French subtitles accompanying the video.

This video statement was strongly criticized by Canadian politicians. Quebec officials are calling for Ruso to resign. Trudeau stated, “Like others, I am very disappointed that the CEO of Canadian Airlines issued a statement in only one language.”

Amid the criticism, Ruso issued a statement on the 26th, saying he was “deeply sorry” that his inability to speak French caused public attention to shift away from the grief of the victims’ families.

According to the New York Post, language is a sensitive issue in Canada, especially in Quebec, where French is the primary language. Quebec is the second most populous province in Canada. Additionally, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that the Official Languages Committee of Canada voted on the 25th to summon Ruso to explain his video at a hearing. On the same day, Canadian Airlines stated in a release that Ruso used English to better communicate sensitive information. The statement said, “Despite his best efforts, his proficiency in French was not enough to convey such sensitive information as effectively as in English.”

Source: Global Times