FEB. 3\, 2026 – The federal governmen
t is trying to defuse American anger over safety approvals for General Dyn
amics Corp.’s Gulfstream jets after U.S. President Donald Trump blasted Ca
nada for having “refused” to certify the planes and threatened retaliation
against Bombardier Inc. and other domestic aircraft manufacturers. U.S. a
nd European regulators have certified Gulfstream’s G700 and G800 models\,
however Canada is still reviewing the aircraft. “Canada is working with th
e U.S. Federal Aviation Administration\, Bombardier and General Dynamics t
o resolve outstanding certification matters in a way that protects safety
and regulatory integrity…” as Transport Canada spokesman Hicham Ayoun said
in an e-mailed statement. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said Canada
has a collaborative relationship with the FAA that stretches back decades
in matters of aircraft certification. He said he’s been given the latest
information on the Gulfstream approvals and has been in touch with “a numb
er of people” on the issue but cautioned he does not interfere with the ce
rtification process. “We’re communicating with both of the manufacturers a
nd all the people in the industry to make sure that everyone understands t
he timeline\,” Mr. MacKinnon told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday. “To the
extent that any ambiguities or misunderstandings may have existed\, I thin
k they’ve been dissipated\,” he said. Mr. Trump startled Canada’s aerospac
e industry last Thursday with a social-media post saying the United States
is decertifying Bombardier’s Global Express jets and “all Aircraft made i
n Canada” until Canada approves the new business jets made by Savannah\, G
a.-based Gulfstream. He said Canada has “wrongfully\, illegally and steadf
astly refused” to certify four Gulfstream jet models\, and he threatened a
50-per-cent import tariff on Canadian aircraft sold into the U.S. if the
situation was not immediately addressed. – (excerpt courtesy: Canadian Pre
ss)
