Aviation expert torches Trump’s threat to 'decertify' Canadian aircrafts

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. President Donald Trump on December 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mandel Ngan

Tensions between the United States and Canada escalated during the recent 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, during a speech, lamented that the U.S. is no longer a reliable economic partner for its longtime allies. U.S. President Donald Trump responded by angrily withdrawing his invitation for Canada to join his Board of Peace.

After returning to the U.S., Trump continued to attack Canada by threatening the country with tariffs — including one on Canadian aircrafts. Canada's CTV News reported that Trump says he will be "decertifying” Bombardier Global Express and "all aircrafts made in Canada."

In a January 29 post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50 percentTariff on any and all Aircraft sold into the United States of America."

But according to Canadian aviation expert Phyl Durdey, Trump doesn't have the authority to "decertify" Canadian aircrafts in the way he is threatening.

Durdey, during a January 29 appearance on CTV News, noted that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifies or decertifies all aircraft in the United States.

CTV News' Dorcas Marfo reports, "(Durdey) also noted that the U.S. has 'lots of operating aircraft that are supplied from Canada,' with thousands of Canadian-built jets flying south of the border, too. The U.S. military itself relies on Bombardier aircraft, using a fleet of modified Global Express jets known as the BACN aircraft or Air Force E-11A, one of which is currently being deployed to the Middle East. Durdey warned any move against Bombardier would hurt U.S. economic interests as much as it would Canada's."

Read CTV News' reporting at this link and here.

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