- Establish new Official Languages Branch responsible for
airline's language action plan and initiatives
- Increasing language training to improve bilingual service
delivery for all employees
- Special incentives for employees who recommend
bilingual candidates who are subsequently hired
MONTREAL, March 21,
2022 /CNW/ - Air Canada announced today additional
Official Languages initiatives that will strengthen and reinforce
its commitment to bilingualism in its corporate culture.
Two Executive Vice-Presidents, supported by the senior
management team, have been mandated to continuously review and
improve Air Canada's Official Languages practices. These new
initiatives were shared with all employees last week and have been
well received.
"As we take a continuous improvement approach in our business
culture, we are implementing additional initiatives to further
strengthen our commitment to Official Languages in our corporate
culture. We thank our employees for sharing their input as their
feedback was instrumental and contributed to these new
developments," said Arielle
Meloul-Weschler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human
Resources Officer and Public Affairs. "As a Canadian company deeply
committed to our country's identity, we know we can always do more
and do better. Canada's Official
Languages are more than just a legal obligation, they align with
our business goals and are an integral component of our
service to customers, as well as part of our distinctive global
brand."
From commitment to actions
- Establish Official Languages Branch
Air Canada's new Official
Languages Branch will have responsibility for implementing Air
Canada's Linguistic Action Plan and reporting progress to executive
management on a quarterly basis. This dedicated team will also
allow Official Language initiatives across the corporation to be
deployed more effectively.
- More training to sustain bilingual service delivery
Air Canada will invest in
increasing its language classes and enhance course offerings to
enable employees to continuously improve their language skills.
Starting this summer, the airline will be launching new training
modules to all frontline and management employees to continue
fostering the values of Official Languages and inform them of all
tools available.
- Recognition and commitment
Air Canada is elevating
bilingualism in its internal employee excellence recognition
programs. The airline will also implement a special incentive to
employees who recommend bilingual candidates who are subsequently
hired.
"These initiatives, supported by the entire executive team, are
in addition to the great efforts already made in our commercial
strategy to better coordinate our initiatives in Francophone
markets," said Lucie Guillemette,
Executive Vice-President, and Chief Commercial Office at Air
Canada. "Air Canada is committed
and determined to continue to support and reinforce Official
Languages in its corporate culture. More than an obligation, it is
a promise to our employees, our customers, and the public – all of
whom have high expectations of us, and we are acting on this
promise."
Air Canada is Canada's largest private sector company
offering bilingual services across Canada and is proud to offer services in both
Official Languages, demonstrating true leadership among major
Canadian companies in promoting bilingualism. Over the years, Air
Canada has implemented a series of sustained initiatives in its
Linguistic Action Plan, to maintain delivery of the services
offered to customers in both official languages and to promote a
bilingual workplace.
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international
airline, the country's flag carrier and a founding member of
Star Alliance, the world's most
comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada is the only international network
carrier in North America to
receive a Four-Star ranking from the independent U.K. research firm
Skytrax, which in 2021 also named Air Canada as having the Best
Airline Staff in North America,
Best Airline Staff in Canada, Best
Business Class Lounge in North
America, as well as an Excellence award for its handling of
COVID-19. Also in 2021, Air Canada was named Global Traveler's Best
Airline in North America for the
third straight year. In January 2021,
Air Canada received APEX's Diamond Status Certification for the Air
Canada CleanCare+ biosafety program for managing COVID-19, the only
airline in Canada to attain the
highest APEX ranking. Air Canada
has also committed to a net zero emissions goal from all global
operations by 2050. For more information, please visit:
aircanada.com/media, follow Air Canada on Twitter and
LinkedIn, and join Air Canada on Facebook.
Internet:
aircanada.com/media
Sign up for Air Canada news: aircanada.com
Media Resources:
Photos
Videos
B-Roll
Articles
SOURCE Air Canada