The CRJ900 is the largest common member of the CRJ family, a 76-seat regional jet with rear-mounted engines and a T-tail. Endeavor flies a big fleet for Delta, PSA flies them for American, and SkyWest also operates them.
CRJ900 at a glance
- First flight
- 2001
- Length
- 119 ft 4 in (36.4 m)
- Wingspan
- 81 ft 7 in (24.9 m)
- Engines
- 2 × GE CF34-8C5 turbofans
- Seats
- 76–90
- Cruise speed
- ~450 kt (518 mph) / Mach 0.78
- Service ceiling
- 41,000 ft
- Range
- ~1,550 nmi
How to recognize the CRJ900
The CRJ900 is long and thin, almost like a pencil with a T-tail. Its engines sit high at the back of the fuselage.
- Length: noticeably long relative to a small wing; about 13 ft longer than the CRJ700.
- Engines: two GE CF34-8C5 engines on the rear fuselage, close to the tail; no engines under the wings.
- Tail: a T-tail with the stabilizer perched on top of the fin.
- Wing: swept, with leading-edge slats and small winglets.
- Doors: a front passenger door with built-in airstairs on the left side.
- Stance: very low; the belly sits close to the ground and the long fuselage needs a careful rotation.
- Sound: a high, thin whine from the tail on takeoff and approach.
The key difference with the E175, which serves the same routes, is engine placement: rear-mounted on the CRJ900, underwing on the E175.
Inside, US CRJ900s usually have a small first-class cabin and two-by-two seating. Because the fuselage is long and the wing is relatively small, the CRJ900 rotates steeply and has a fairly high approach speed. Its two contrails start close together near the tail, which is a good clue at altitude.
Where and when you'll see it
Endeavor Air (callsign EDV) flies a large CRJ900 fleet for Delta Connection, especially from Minneapolis, Detroit, Atlanta and New York. PSA Airlines (JIA) flies them for American Eagle around Charlotte, Philadelphia and Washington, and SkyWest (SKW) flies them for Delta and others. They connect hubs with mid-size cities on flights of one to three hours.
Cruise is commonly FL300 to FL370. Approaches are flown at 2,000 to 3,000 ft and roughly 140 to 150 kt. On ADS-B the type code is CRJ9. Over Minneapolis and Detroit you will see Endeavor CRJ900s throughout the day.
Endeavor and PSA run high-frequency schedules, so the same CRJ900 may fly five or six short legs in a day. Watch the arrival flow in the late afternoon and early evening at hub airports for the busiest periods.
Easily confused with
- Bombardier CRJ700: The CRJ700 is about 13 ft shorter.
- Embraer E175: The E175 has underwing engines and a conventional low tail.
- Embraer E190: The E190 is a little longer, with underwing engines and a wider cabin.
Quick facts
- The CRJ900 is about 31 ft longer than the original 50-seat CRJ200.
- Many US CRJ900s seat exactly 76 passengers to fit within pilot scope-clause limits.
- CRJ production ended in early 2021 after Mitsubishi acquired the program, so no new CRJ900s are being built.
CRJ900 questions
Is the CRJ900 still being built?
No. Production ended after Mitsubishi bought the CRJ program in 2020, though many CRJ900s remain in service.
Who flies the CRJ900 in the US?
Endeavor Air for Delta Connection, PSA Airlines for American Eagle, and SkyWest are the main operators.
Cities where it's a regular
Chicago · Dallas–Fort Worth · Atlanta · Washington, D.C. · Philadelphia · Phoenix · Detroit · Minneapolis · Baltimore · St. Louis · Charlotte · San Antonio · Austin · Pittsburgh · Cincinnati · Kansas City · Columbus · Indianapolis · Cleveland · Nashville · Virginia Beach · Jacksonville · Providence · Raleigh · Milwaukee · Oklahoma City · Louisville · Memphis · Richmond · Salt Lake City · Birmingham · Buffalo · Hartford · Tucson
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for CRJ9 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.