The CRJ700 is a stretched CRJ with about 65 to 78 seats, rear-mounted engines and a T-tail. SkyWest and PSA fly it under major-airline brands on short and medium routes from US hubs.
CRJ700 at a glance
- First flight
- 1999
- Length
- 106 ft 1 in (32.3 m)
- Wingspan
- 76 ft 3 in (23.2 m)
- Engines
- 2 × GE CF34-8C turbofans
- Seats
- 65–78
- Cruise speed
- ~450 kt (518 mph) / Mach 0.78
- Service ceiling
- 41,000 ft
- Range
- ~1,400 nmi
How to recognize the CRJ700
The CRJ700 is the middle child of the CRJ family. It keeps the slim tube, rear engines and T-tail but is longer than the CRJ200, with a reworked wing.
- Engines: two GE CF34-8C engines on pylons at the back of the fuselage, larger than the CRJ200's.
- Tail: T-tail with the stabilizer high on the fin.
- Wing: bigger than the CRJ200's, with leading-edge slats that extend on approach and small winglets.
- Fuselage: long and narrow, with windows set slightly higher than on the CRJ200 thanks to a lowered cabin floor.
- Stance: low to the ground with short gear.
- Sound: a thin, high whine from the tail-mounted engines; departures are quick and steep.
Separating it from the CRJ900 is tricky: the CRJ900 is about 13 ft longer. Count the windows if you can, or check the live type code.
In the US most CRJ700s seat 65 to 70 passengers, often including a small first-class cabin. At altitude, its two contrails start close together near the tail, like any rear-engined jet. On the ground, the cabin door sits low enough that passengers often walk up a short airstair from the ramp.
Where and when you'll see it
SkyWest (callsign SKW) flies CRJ700s for United Express, Delta Connection and American Eagle, and PSA Airlines (JIA) flies them for American Eagle, especially around Charlotte, Philadelphia and Washington National. You will see them on routes of one to three hours from hubs to mid-size cities.
Cruise is often FL300 to FL370. Approaches are flown at about 2,000 to 3,000 ft and 135 to 145 kt. On ADS-B the type code is CRJ7 and the callsign belongs to the operator, not the brand on the tail. Read callsigns and flight numbers to decode them, and check Charlotte for a city full of CRJs.
CRJ700s are often used on routes with not quite enough demand for a 76-seat E175 or CRJ900, and they frequently make several short legs a day from the same hub.
Easily confused with
- Bombardier CRJ900: The CRJ900 is about 13 ft longer with extra windows.
- Bombardier CRJ200: The CRJ200 is about 18 ft shorter and lacks wing slats.
- Embraer E175: The E175 has engines under the wings and a low tail.
Quick facts
- The CRJ700 introduced leading-edge slats to the CRJ family, improving takeoff and landing performance.
- Its cabin floor was lowered compared with the CRJ200, giving passengers more headroom.
- Bombardier sold the CRJ program to Mitsubishi in 2020, and production ended soon after.
CRJ700 questions
Is the CRJ700 bigger than the E175?
No. The CRJ700 seats about 65 to 70 in US service, versus 76 for the E175, and its cabin is narrower.
Who flies the CRJ700?
SkyWest and PSA are the main US operators, flying under brands like United Express, Delta Connection and American Eagle.
Cities where it's a regular
Charlotte · Richmond · Birmingham
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for CRJ7 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.