A mockup of the Gulfstream G700 is unveiled at an exhibition in Las Vegas, Nev., in 2019. The model is one of the two certified by Transport Canada on Tuesday.DAVID BECKER/Reuters
Transport Canada has certified the two remaining Gulfstream jet models at the heart of recent threats by U.S. President Donald Trump against Canada’s aerospace industry, easing tensions in a situation that could have quickly turned sour for one of the country’s key export sectors.
The federal department awarded “type certification” to Gulfstream’s G700 and G800 planes on Monday, according to a document from Transport Canada’s National Aeronautical Product Approval database. Two other Gulfstream models, the G500 and G600, were approved earlier this month.
Federal officials had been working behind the scenes to assuage U.S. anger over jet safety approvals after Mr. Trump blasted Canada in a social-media post in late January for having “wrongfully, illegally and steadfastly refused” to certify the four Gulfstream jet models.
Regulators have given the thumbs-up to Gulfstream's latest business jets, less than a month after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs over the planes' status north of the border.
The Canadian Press
The President said the United States would decertify the Global Express jets made by Canada’s Bombardier Inc. BBD-B-T and “all aircraft made in Canada” until Canada approves the new business jets made by Savannah, Ga.-based Gulfstream, a unit of General Dynamics Corp. GD-N He also threatened to impose a 50-per-cent import tariff on Canadian aircraft sold into the U.S. if the situation was not immediately addressed.
The declaration sparked alarm and confusion among aviation-sector leaders in Canada and the U.S. While some commentators said Mr. Trump was using his power to undermine the safety functions of regulators, others said the President was simply trying to throw Canada off balance ahead of what are shaping up to be difficult trade talks in the months to come.
Bryan Bedford, the head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, said his country was looking for a level playing field, and he questioned whether regulators in other countries were devoting sufficient resources to aircraft approvals.
FAA head says Canada will certify Gulfstream jets after Trump threats
On Parliament Hill on Friday, Steven MacKinnon, Canada’s Minister of Transport, repeated that he doesn’t get involved in the certification process.
Asked if the Gulfstream episode is over, the minister said: “We are asked to certify aircraft for their safety, their security, for people who travel in them, vis-à-vis Canadian regulations. And if they’re certified, they’re safe to fly.”
Gulfstream spokeswoman Angie Amberg said the plane maker continues to work with the FAA and Transport Canada Civil Aviation, Canada’s civil aviation regulatory authority, and is “optimistic that progress is being made.”
Bombardier and Gulfstream are major competitors in the private jet market, each boasting a healthy backlog of orders stemming from strong demand for their products worldwide.