The Bombardier CRJ200 is a 50-seat regional jet with engines mounted on the rear fuselage and a T-tail. Once ubiquitous, it is gradually being retired, but SkyWest and other regional airlines still fly it on short routes linking smaller cities to hubs.
CRJ200 at a glance
- First flight
- 1991 (CRJ100)
- Length
- 87 ft 10 in (26.8 m)
- Wingspan
- 69 ft 7 in (21.2 m)
- Engines
- 2 × GE CF34-3B1 turbofans
- Seats
- 50
- Cruise speed
- ~424 kt (488 mph) / Mach 0.74
- Service ceiling
- 41,000 ft
- Range
- ~1,300–1,700 nmi
How to recognize the CRJ200
The CRJ200 is a narrow tube with two engines hung on the back of the fuselage and a T-tail. From below it looks like a small business jet that was stretched.
- Engines: two slim GE CF34 engines on pylons beside the rear fuselage, just ahead of the tail. There is nothing under the wings.
- Tail: a T-tail with the horizontal stabilizer on top of the fin.
- Fuselage: very slender and short, with small oval windows set low on the body.
- Wing: small and swept with tiny upturned winglets and no leading-edge slats.
- Stance: sits very low; the main door is close to the ground, with built-in airstairs.
- Sound: a high, thin whine that sounds different from underwing-engine jets because the engines are behind the cabin.
Telling it from the CRJ700 is about length and wing: the CRJ200 is about 18 ft shorter, its wing has no slats, and its nose looks proportionally longer. From a distance, the short body and T-tail can also resemble a large business jet; look for the airline livery and a long row of windows.
At altitude, the CRJ200 leaves two contrails that sit very close together because the engines are next to the fuselage.
Where and when you'll see it
SkyWest (callsign SKW) is the largest remaining CRJ200 operator, flying them under United Express, Delta Connection and American Eagle contracts, and under its own SkyWest Charter brand. A few other regional airlines still fly small fleets. They typically serve shorter routes, such as Denver to mountain towns, Chicago to Midwest cities or Salt Lake City to smaller western airports.
Cruise is commonly FL280 to FL370; short legs may stay lower. Approaches are flown at about 2,000 to 3,000 ft and 140 to 150 kt, slightly faster than larger regional jets because of its small wing. On ADS-B the type code is CRJ2. See regional jet in the glossary, and Denver for a hub where they are common.
CRJ200s often fly short legs of under an hour, so they climb and descend frequently and spend less time at cruise.
Easily confused with
- Bombardier CRJ700: The CRJ700 is about 18 ft longer and has leading-edge slats on its wings.
- Embraer E175: The E175 has underwing engines and a conventional low tail.
Quick facts
- The CRJ series grew out of the Canadair Challenger business jet, which is why its engines and T-tail look so similar.
- Its overhead bins are too small for most roller bags, so carry-ons are typically checked planeside.
- Many 50-seat jets have been retired because each one needs two pilots for relatively few paying seats.
CRJ200 questions
How do I tell a CRJ200 from a CRJ900?
Length. The CRJ200 is a short 50-seater, while the CRJ900 is about 31 ft longer. Both have rear engines and a T-tail.
Are CRJ200s still flying?
Yes, though in shrinking numbers. SkyWest flies the largest remaining fleet for several major airlines.
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for CRJ2 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.