An escalation in tensions between the United States (US) and Canada over the certification of several Gulfstream private jets appears to be on the brink of a resolution, according to media reports.
On February 10, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Brian Bedford confirmed that concerns raised by US President Donald Trump over the time taken for Gulfstream jets to be approved in Canada had been addressed.
“I think we’ve resolved the issues with Canada. My understanding is Transport Canada will announce the Gulfstream certifications that have been delayed for years,” said Bedford according to Reuters.
On January 29, 2026, President Trump threatened to “decertify” Canadian made Bombardier Global Express jets and “all aircraft” made north of the US border in retaliation for the perceived delays.
President Trump claimed that Canada had “illegally” refused to certify Gulfstream’s G500, G600, G700, and G800 aircraft and additionally threatened a 50% tariff on Canada for any aircraft sold into the US if the situation is not “immediately corrected”.
Gulfstream G700 and G800 were certified in the US with an exemption over potential issues with fuel-icing. In 2023, Gulfstream was given three years to address the fuel-icing matter while reassuring the public there was no risk to safety.
“The petitioner has requested a partial exemption from the affected sections of 14 CFR for a period of 3 years, in order to develop and conduct a full-scale test of the fuel system to show that the fuel system icing threat has been adequately mitigated for the Model GVIII-G700 and Model GVIII-G800 airplanes,” said the FAA in 2023.
On February 2, 2026, Bedford said that when the FAA certifies an aircraft, it expects other aviation regulators to accept its certification.
At the Singapore Airshow he told reporters that other countries’ aircraft safety validation process “shouldn’t take five, six, and seven years”.
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