Trump threatens to bar Canadian Bombardier jets from U.S. skies

On Monday, President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform and wrote in all caps, “No more selling Bombardier in the United States!” He added that the Canadian maker must set up production here if it wants to keep its customers on American runways. The post was short, angry, and – as usual – vague about how a ban would actually be enforced.

Bombardier, the Quebec‑based planemaker whose regional jets and business aircraft dot the fleets of dozens of U.S. airlines, has long relied on the American market for more than half of its revenue. The president’s threat therefore feels less like a casual complaint and more like a lever in the broader tariff tug‑of‑war that has been bubbling between Washington and Ottawa.

Canada, in turn, announced it would roll out retaliatory duties on a swath of U.S. goods – from steel and aluminum to dairy products – starting the following Tuesday. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has been front‑and‑center in the trade talks, called the American demands “unacceptable” and said his government would not hesitate to protect Canadian exporters.

Bombardier tried to calm the nerves with a statement that highlighted its “growing American footprint.” It noted that the company’s supply chain already touches roughly 2,800 U.S. firms across 47 states, and that its aircraft are assembled with American‑made engines, avionics and other key systems. The firm also said a new assembly line in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is slated to open later this year – a move that, if anything, could be framed as a concession to Trump’s demand.

There is a procedural snag, though. The authority to certify—or decertify—aircraft in the United States rests with the Federal Aviation Administration, not the White House. Bombardier’s jets remain FAA‑certified, and the company is currently exempt from the 50 percent tariffs the administration slapped on a $20 billion‑worth of Canadian imports earlier this month.

Trump’s latest post revives a familiar refrain. Back in January, he threatened to decertify Bombardier planes after Canada stalled on certification for new Gulfstream models built in the United States. Though that threat never materialised, it underscored how aviation has become a pawn in the larger trade squabble.

For now, it’s unclear whether the president will actually pull the plug on Bombardier sales, or whether the rhetoric will simply add more heat to negotiations that have already stalled. What is certain is that the aviation sector – already dealing with supply‑chain hiccups and rising fuel costs – will be watching the fallout very closely.