Bombardier CRJ900

Bombardier launched the CRJ900 in 2000 as a stretch of the CRJ700. That family traces back to the CRJ100 and 200, which turned the Challenger business jet into the first modern regional jet. Bombardier stretched the fuselage and strengthened the structure, and because the formula was already proven, development moved quickly and costs stayed low. It reused most of the CRJ700 tooling and structure.

The CRJ900 first flew on February 21, 2001, using a rebuilt CRJ700 prototype, and Mesa Air Group began service in early 2003. Seating up to 90 passengers, it was sized precisely for US scope clauses. Those are contract rules that cap how large an aircraft a regional partner may fly for a mainline airline. That made it an easy sell. Airlines could fill it without breaching the limits.

Bombardier delivered around 500, the most of any second-generation CRJ. In North America it flies for Delta Connection and American Eagle through Endeavor Air, SkyWest, PSA and Mesa, while Lufthansa CityLine, SAS and Air Canada Express flew large fleets. A refreshed NextGen model and the later Atmosphère cabin kept it a strong rival to the Embraer E175. Mitsubishi bought the program in 2020 and ended production the next year.

Two General Electric CF34-8C5 turbofans sit on the rear fuselage. The T-tail and clean supercritical wing come from the Challenger business jet family, and winglets are standard.

The slim four-abreast cabin seats 76 to 90 people. The low-slung body sits close to the ramp, so ground crews often board passengers by airstair.

Later Atmosphère cabins enlarged the bins so most carry-on bags fit onboard. Collins Pro Line 4 avionics fill the cockpit, and the CRJ700, 900 and 1000 share one type rating. Earlier CRJ100 and 200 crews need only differences training.