Transport Canada certifies Gulfstream G700 and G800 jets after Trump spat

(Reuters) Transport Canada has certified General Dynamics Gulfstream’s G700 and G800 business jets, according to a government document, weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump complained the Canadian regulator was taking too long to approve the aircraft.

The head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said earlier this month he expected Canada would soon announce it was certifying some Gulfstream business jets that had been delayed for years. Reuters was the first to report on Friday that Gulfstream’s G500 and G600 jets had been certified by Transport Canada.

Last month, Trump said in a social media post that the U.S. was planning to decertify Canadian-made Bombardier Global Express business jets and threatened 50% import tariffs on all aircraft made in Canada until the country’s regulator certified a number of planes produced by U.S. rival Gulfstream.

The incident raised alarm among aviation experts who argued that planes should be certified for safety reasons and be free from political influence.

Under global aviation rules the country where an aircraft is designed — the U.S. in Gulfstream’s case — is responsible for primary certification known as a type certificate, vouching for the design’s safety.

Other countries typically validate the decision of the primary regulator, but have the right to refuse or ask for more data.

(Allison Lampert in Montreal and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)