Today, the Bombardier CRJ200 is the bestselling member of the CRJ family of jets, being loved by airlines the world over. Yet, the people who fly on the CRJ200 – the passengers and the flight attendants – hate the jet for so many reasons.
Built between 1996 and 2006, Bombardier would produce a total of 709 CRJ200s, becoming a favorite of literally hundreds of operators in hundreds of countries, with the jet still being used today!
Pre-Bombardier CRJ200
In 1986, Canadian manufacturing conglomerate, Bombardier, would acquire Canadair – Canada’s national aircraft manufacturer which was then being privatized by the Canadian government, for a total of $200 million (Canadian).
Beyond acquiring the internationally recognized Canadair name, Bombardier also acquired the company’s Challenger 600 line of business jets, which had proven to be one of the most popular business jet families ever created.
Beginning in the late 1980’s, Bombardier would begin developing a stretched version of the Challenger 600, which was designed to be a low-cost, 50-seat regional airliner.
This stretched Challenger 600 would be given the designation of the Bombardier CRJ100 (with “CRJ” standing for “Canadair Regional Jet”). First flying on May 10 1991, the CRJ100 would enter service in October 1992 with Lufthansa CityLine.
With the standard CRJ100 proving to be quite popular, Bombardier would develop several more variants, such as an extended range (ER) or cargo variant.
However, jet engine technology improved considerably during the early 1990’s, with the CRJ100’s engines soon seeming outdated, and its technical specs being rivaled (and surpassed) by the recently introduced ERJ-145 family.
Development
Realizing this, and fearing that Embraer may use this to increase sales of their yet-to-be released ERJ145, Bombardier would set about producing a new variant of the CRJ100 in 1995.
With there only being one issue with the CRJ100, Bombardier chose to save on costs by only changing the engines, installing more powerful and fuel-efficient General Electric CF34-3B1 engines (rather than the CF34-3A1s on the CRJ100).
Beyond saving Bombardier, and thus the airlines who’d buy it, millions of dollars in development costs, the fact that the two jets were exactly the same apart from the engines, meant that both aircraft could be on the same type certificate.
This ensured that airlines who previously operated the CRJ100 wouldn’t be put at a disadvantage, as their pilots could fly both the aircraft without needing additional training.
Despite making only one minor alteration to the CRJ100, Bombardier chose to call this re-engined CRJ100 the Bombardier CRJ200, meant to show the progression of the CRJ family Bombardier hoped to build.
As it was on the same type certificate, flight testing for the CRJ200 was minimal, with the first prototype being finished in early 1996, with flight testing lasting only a few months before entering service with Lufthansa CityLine.
Operational History
Upon being delivered to Lufthansa CityLine, several other operators would acquire the Bombardier CRJ200 for several different purposes, giving the jet one of the most intriguing operational histories of any jet I’ve ever seen!
Airline
Whilst Lufthansa CityLine would be the jet’s launch customer, it would by no means be the jet’s only customer. Indeed, at least in passenger airline service, the jet would appeal to two different types of airlines.
The first were regional airlines, such as Lufthansa CityLine (as well as Air France’s Brit Air, the Air Canada-affiliated Jazz and the American Eagle-affiliated SkyWest) who’d acquire the jet to serve short-haul routes that didn’t need a larger jet like a 737.
For example, an intercity route between two major cities that were geographically close to one another, such as Berlin to Munich, Glasgow to Edinburgh, and/or Milan to Rome.
The second would be low-cost airlines. Here, the low operating costs of the jet and relatively high profit margins appealed to them as it allowed them to offer lower prices than established airlines without making a loss themselves.
Since the introduction of newer, larger regional jets like the Embraer E-Jet/E-Jet E2 family and Bombardier CRJ700 series, many airlines in the West have begun to phase out their CRJ100/200 fleets in favor of these newer jets.
Instead of going to one of the world’s many aircraft graveyards, many of these used CRJs have been acquired by airlines in developing nations, especially in Asia and Africa, due to their low acquisition costs.
Cargo
Following the introduction of the Bombardier CRJ200, many cargo airlines began demanding a cargo variant of the jet. Delivering on this, Bombardier would introduce the purpose-built CRJ200PF cargo aircraft.
In cargo service, the CRJ200PF is tasked with ferrying small-to-medium amounts of low-value cargo (such as airmail) on short-haul routes that have too high demand for turboprop aircraft like the Saab 2000, but not enough to warrant a 737.
Surprisingly, the CRJ200PF is actually one of the more popular variants of the CRJ200, mostly because it can transport more cargo than turboprop-powered aircraft like the Saab 340 or Saab 2000, at a lower cost per package.
It’s mostly due to this fact why many cargo airlines have acquired the CRJ200 – assuming it’s mostly or completely full (in keeping with regulations anyway), it’s much more profitable than turboprop cargo aircraft!
Having seen hundreds of well-maintained, ex-airline CRJ200s flood the market in recent years, many smaller cargo airlines have acquired them, before sending them back to Bombardier to be retrofitted for cargo operations.
Redesignated as the Bombardier CRJ200SF by Bombardier themselves, these CRJ200s have become just as popular as the CRJ200PF, if not more so, being used on many of the same routes (sometimes by many of the same cargo airlines!)
In a time when many operators are retiring their CRJ200s, cargo airlines can’t seem to get enough of the CRJ200…
VIP Transport
When the CRJ200 entered service in 1996, there were many corporate operators who were eagerly awaiting the introduction of a luxury corporate variant of the CRJ200.
Although there was significant demand at one point, Bombardier refused to introduce a corporate CRJ200 for years. Indeed, they’d only release their executive CRJ200 (branded as the Challenger 850) in 2006 after ceasing production of the CRJ200.
Despite selling only 60 Challenger 850s, recent years have seen the market flooded with second-hand CRJ200s, which are often better maintained and cheaper than most of the Challenger 850s on the market.
Wanting to save a little money, as well as tailor the jet to their own needs, several corporations and other high net worth individuals have acquired former airline CRJ200s en masse.
After acquiring them, these used CRJ200s have then been sent back to Bombardier, or to a third-party company for a luxury interior to be installed, as well as other upgrades such as newer engines and occasionally brand new avionics too.
Thanks to these upgrades, these corporate CRJ200s have the range and capacity of long-range jets like the Gulfstream G650 or Bombardier Global Express series, whilst having fuel economy more akin to mid-range jets like the Learjet 60 or Hawker 800.
Serving as a private jet for some of the world’s largest corporations, these corporate CRJ200s fly a mixture of both short and long-haul routes, transporting company executives to wherever they need to go.
Charter
Whilst most of these corporate CRJ200s are used by the multibillion dollar corporations that own them, some have found themselves in the possession of executive charter companies, or are chartered out through them to decrease overheads.
Regardless, these executive charter companies often the jet as being the low-cost alternative to long range jets like the G650, often citing the aforementioned fact about the jet’s operational costs compared to its competitors.
Beyond the corporate CRJ200s that many charter companies offer, there are several charter companies who offer airline-configured CRJ200s.
Here, these jets are mostly former airline CRJ200s that are chartered out for when a relatively large group of people need to be transported on a route that airlines simply don’t offer, or on routes where you simply can’t buy 50 separate tickets for one single flight.
Whilst not the only time this happens, the common entity that charter the jet are corporations who charter the jet for short-haul corporate retreats or large-scale trade conferences due to being cheaper and easier than flying commercially.
Although it depends on a number of factors (such as route, time of year and the charter company you fly with), you’d be looking to pay between $6,000 to $8,000 per hour to charter the jet.
Specifications
Essentially a CRJ100 with new engines, the two aircraft naturally share most of the same physical specs, whilst differing somewhat on the technical ones. As the basis of the CRJ700 series, the CRJ200 and CRJ700 naturally share some of the same specs too.
Owing in large part to the success of the original CRJ200, Bombardier would design and build several variants of the jet, the most popular of which would be the CRJ200LR variant…
| Specifications | Bombardier CRJ200LR |
|---|---|
| Length | 87 ft 10 in (26.77 m) |
| Wingspan | 69 ft 6 in (21.21 m) |
| Height | 20 ft 8 in (6.22 m) |
| Crew | 3 – 4 (2 pilots + 1/2 flight crew) |
| Passengers | 50 |
| Cruise Speed | 0.74 Mach (785 km/h; 488 mph; 424 kn) |
| Range | 3,148 km (1,956 mi; 1,700 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 41,000 ft (12,500 m) |
| MTOW | 53,000 lb (24,041 kg) |
Why Was The Bombardier CRJ200 so Successful?
When Bombardier introduced the CRJ100 in 1992, it soon proved to be one of the most popular regional airliners in the world. Indeed, it was the money they got from the extremely popular CRJ100 that financed development of the CRJ200.
For Bombardier, this was money well spent. In the 10 years the CRJ200 was produced (1996-2006), a total of 709 CRJ200s were built, making it the most popular single jet in the entire CRJ line by a wide margin.
Indeed, this success was down to a number of reasons too…
To begin with, when the CRJ200 was released in 1996, it had already been built on the foundation of the CRJ100, which had already proven itself as a safe, profitable and versatile jet that was perfect for almost every operator.
As such, when airlines were debating between the CRJ200 and the ERJ-145 (which wasn’t introduced until April 1997), many airlines went for the Bombardier CRJ200, as they knew it would work – something they couldn’t say for certain with the ERJ-145.
Plus, Bombardier already had customers lined up for the CRJ200. Having been designed to replace the CRJ100, Bombardier already had the contacts to make CRJ100 customers buy the CRJ200 as a replacement.
Although it may not sound like a lot, this saved Bombardier millions of dollars in marketing to customers it already had, which allowed it to market the jet directly to customers it hadn’t done business with before.
Then there’s also the fact that the CRJ200 has a relatively low hourly operating cost, being considerably lower per seat than turboprop-powered regional airliners, making the CRJ200 incredibly popular with airlines for profitability reasons.
Why is The Bombardier CRJ200 so Hated?
Despite being so successful, and love by the airlines who operate them, the CRJ200 is hated by pretty much everyone who flies on it – both passengers and staff alike. Some, have even gone as far to claim that it is the worst regional jet that major airlines currently use.
Unlike other hated jets,people don’t dislike the CRJ200 entirely without reason.
For example, many hate the jet because of how cramped it is. Whilst having a 1×1 configuration (as the Challenger 600) the CRJ/Challenger’s cabin was spacious.
However, in a 2×2 configuration, the Challenger is incredibly cramped, with airlines using the smallest size seating pitch they’re legally allowed to have.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, the curvature of the fuselage is so bad that if you’re over six feet tall, your head will touch the cabin’s roof. Whilst this may sound pleasant to some as a built-in headrest, it soon makes your neck and/or back quite stiff.
Anything you try to do to make it more comfortable only results in it being even more uncomfortable.
Whilst great for the profit margins of those airlines, for the passengers, it makes a two-hour long flight seem like forever!
Beyond this, the toilets onboard the CRJ200 are even more disgusting than they are on other jets. Not only are they more cramped than on other jets, the CRJ200 gets rid of waste via the industry standard “blue juice”.
There’s only one problem, however, the amount of blue juice is only three gallons (13.6 liters) and is recycled after every flush. After a few flushes, the blue juice is just a coagulated mess of urine, faeces and blue juice. Safe to say that the jet stinks like a public toilet after around half the flight.
Making it even more uncomfortable, the cabin’s environmental control system (ECS) was designed appallingly. For example, cold air vents out near your feet, essentially freezing your feet in the process.
Hot air, on the other hand, is vented out directly onto your face, causing you to sweat profusely during the flight. Had it been the other way around, the cabin would be at a fairly pleasant temperature, instead, it’s hot and sticky, and not at all comfortable.
Plus, the cabin heat doesn’t do the stench any favors.
It may sound like I’m over exaggerating, but that’s not even the top of the iceberg either…
How Safe Was The Bombardier CRJ200?
In recent years, a number of high-profile crashes have put aviation safety on the tips of everyone’s tongues once again. This begs the question, how safe is it to fly on the CRJ200?
Historically, Bombardier has a strong track record when it comes to producing safe aircraft, with the CRJ line as a whole often topping lists of the safest aircraft currently in our skies. Yet, older aircraft as a whole tend to be more dangerous due to laxer regulations.
Despite this latter trend, the CRJ200 is incredibly safe by modern standards. Of 709 CRJs ever built, only 26 were involved in an aviation-related incident of some kind, resulting in a relatively low 81 fatalities.
Whilst this is still 81 fatalities more than you’d hope, to put it in perspective only 3.66% of all the CRJ200s ever built were involved in an aviation-related accident, making it safer (statistically) than the famed Boeing 747, with its 4%.
Interestingly, of these 26 aviation-related incidents, only five had fatalities. In other words, less than 20% of the CRJ200s involved in accidents were fatal, basically meaning that your chances of crashing in a CRJ200 are minimal.
Looking at the accident reports for these five fatal accidents, they were all caused by factors that had nothing to do with the aircraft itself – such as poor weather, poor maintenance or a hijacking by a disgruntled airline employee.
Legacy
Today, more and more operators are beginning to retire their Bombardier CRJ200 fleets in favor of newer Bombardier and Embraer regional jets. In turn, this has begun to reveal the jet’s especially large impact on the aviation industry as a whole.
Bombardier
When Bombardier introduced the CRJ100 in 1992, many in the airline industry dismissed Bombardier, believing that turboprops would still reign supreme in the regional airliner market.
Yet, they were wrong. Within only a few years, Bombardier had gone from an obscure Canadian aircraft manufacturer with barely a foot in the door, to one of the largest names in the aviation industry.
Those people who dismissed Bombardier were forced to eat their own words.
Despite this, not everyone was convinced, with some saying it was a fluke. The introduction and even bigger success of the CRJ200 proved those doubters that Bombardier, and the regional jets they produced were here to stay.
Beyond this, the continued success of the CRJ200 ensured that Bombardier would become one of the “Big Four” aircraft manufacturers after Boeing’s acquisition of McDonnell Douglas in 1997.
Future Aircraft
Despite having been developed from the CRJ100 (itself developed from the Challenger 600 business jet), the CRJ200 itself would developed into another aircraft: the CRJ700 series.
Comprised of four jets (CRJ550, CRJ700, CRJ900 and CRJ1000), Bombardier would begin developing them in the mid-1990’s in response to airlines wanting larger regional airliners due to increasing demand for regional routes.
Beyond the CRJ700 series, the success of the CRJ200 would prompt Embraer to begin developing the shorter ERJ-135 and ERJ-140 from their 50-seat ERJ-145, which transported 37 and 44 passengers respectively.
Whilst it may seem counterintuitive, Embraer realized that on many of the routes the CRJ200 was operating on, the jet was only half full.
To maximize profits, Embraer produced an aircraft with better technical specs than the CRJ200, whilst also being more profitable for airlines to operate on these less popular routes.
Beyond leading to the production of other the ERJ-145 family, the success of the CRJ200 would encourage Fairchild Dornier to produce the Fairchild Dornier 328JET, which would soon come to rival the CRJ100/200 and ERJ-145 families.
What do you think about the Bombardier CRJ200? Have you ever flown it? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Cory W. Watts via Flickr.