IATA CR2ICAO CRJ2

Canadair Regional Jet 200

Canadair

TravelerPulse profile

Compact regional jet that dominated North American short-haul routes.

First flight

1995

Category

Regional jet

Seating

Range

3,148 km

Engines

Two General Electric CF34-3B1 turbofans

Status

In service

The Canadair Regional Jet 200 (CRJ200) is a twin-engine regional jet developed by Bombardier Aerospace, evolved from the earlier CRJ100 with more fuel-efficient General Electric CF34-3B1 engines. It seats up to 50 passengers in a single-class configuration and is optimized for short to medium regional routes, typically under 1,000 km. The CRJ200 entered service in the mid-1990s and quickly became one of the most widely operated regional jets in North America. Its economics suited the regional airline model, particularly for code-share operations feeding major hub carriers. The aircraft's narrow fuselage and modest passenger capacity also made it subject to scope clause restrictions in pilot contracts at major U.S. airlines. Though production has ceased, hundreds of CRJ200s remain active worldwide, operated primarily by regional subsidiaries and independent carriers. It played a foundational role in shaping the modern regional aviation market, though it has increasingly been replaced by larger regional jets such as the CRJ700 and Embraer E-Jet family.

Notable operators

Major operators have included SkyWest Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Air Nostrum, and Jazz Aviation.

Notable facts

›The CRJ200 is a refined version of the CRJ100, featuring more fuel-efficient CF34-3B1 engines.
›Its 50-seat capacity was deliberately aligned with U.S. airline pilot scope clause limits.
›Over 1,000 CRJ100/200 aircraft were produced before production ended.
›The aircraft is derived from the Canadair Challenger 600 business jet.
›Bombardier transferred CRJ program support to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2020.