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Or sign-in if you have an account.Anko van der Werff will become Air Canada's chief executive officer. Photo by Erika Gerdemark /Photographer: Erika Gerdemark/Bl(Bloomberg) — Air Canada recruited Anko van der Werff from SAS AB to be its new chief executive officer, choosing an outsider to lead the carrier through a major expansion. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorVan der Werff has led the Scandinavian airline for around five years, helping it emerge from bankruptcy and guiding it through the tail end of the Covid pandemic and the restart of regular travel. Bloomberg News reported on July 2 that he was Air Canada’s leading candidate. A Dutch national, van der Werff speaks multiple languages — but most importantly French. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe job became available when CEO Michael Rousseau announced in March that he would retire after a public furor over his failure to speak French in a video about an accident that killed two Air Canada pilots in New York. As the country’s flag carrier, Air Canada is required to operate in both English and French, and it’s headquartered in Montreal, the business center of Quebec, where French is the majority language. Rousseau was heavily criticized, including by Prime Minister Mark Carney, for expressing his condolences almost entirely in English. “Like many Dutch people of my generation, I was fortunate enough to learn French in school, and I spent some time in France with my parents, especially my mom,” van der Werff, who’s in his early 50s, said in an internal video for Air Canada employees that was seen by Bloomberg News. “I understand the importance of being able to communicate in French here in Canada.”The Canadian airline is in the midst of a multibillion-dollar program to buy new aircraft and renovate the interiors of existing ones as it plots out new routes. The airline currently operates more than 300 planes and expects to reach nearly 400 by 2030.It’s making a major bet on a new fleet of Airbus SE A321XLR planes to help open up new routes and generate revenue growth. The single-aisle plane will give the airline the flexibility to serve secondary routes, such as Toronto-Copenhagen or Montreal-Berlin, at a lower cost, executives said in a recent interview. Canadians have been traveling more to Europe and South America as many households shun the US in protest of the actions of the Trump administration, including tariffs. Air Canada’s passenger revenue on transatlantic routes rose 4% last year, but it dropped 10% for US flights.The airline suspended its financial outlook in May because of soaring jet fuel prices due to the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Van der Werff led the Colombian airline Avianca between 2019 and 2021, and has held senior roles at Grupo Aeromexico, Qatar Airways and Air France-KLM.—With assistance from Benedikt Kammel and Siddharth Philip. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. 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