Air Canada has appointed Anko Van der Werff, currently CEO of Scandinavian Airlines, as its new president and CEO. Van der Werff is expected to assume the role by January, succeeding Michael Rousseau.

Rousseau announced his retirement following significant public criticism over an English-only condolence message after a fatal crash at La Guardia airport. The controversy, which involved his struggles with French, prompted scrutiny from Canadian politicians and official languages committees.

Air Canada stated that Van der Werff, who speaks multiple languages including French, was selected after a global search that considered the ability to communicate in both official Canadian languages. His appointment signals a move to address past linguistic missteps and emphasizes the airline's commitment to serving its diverse customer base in both English and French.