The jet took off in 1978, a few months after the death of Lear. Once Canadair received the A-type certificate, it produced some Challengers until Bombardier acquired the financially struggling company in 1986.
The Challenger program began gaining pace once Bombardier took over. And a little over three years later, the company developed commercial passenger aircraft, which undoubtedly changed the regional aviation sector.
Many airlines showed interest as well as skepticism in the small fifty-seater aircraft. Once the development was seen as somewhat financially viable, the prestigious Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) emerged.
After many flight tests, regulators awarded the CRJ 100 in 1992 the A-type certificate. Lufthansa received the very first airplane a few weeks later. Over the years, the CRJ 100 underwent several modifications to optimize fuel consumption, reduce maintenance requirements, and improve operating and engine performance, among other things.
CRJ 200 is Born
Soon CRJ 200 was also developed, which gained popularity for routes where turboprops or larger aircraft were not practical to operate. It filled the gap in the demand for flights catering to smaller hubs profitably.
The innovation stirred the regional airline sector, connecting it with primary air hubs, which helped improve the passenger experience. At this point, the demand for aircraft with more seats increased in the market. Moreover, a Brazilian aircraft manufacturing company also came into being as a competitor.
Bombardier invested in further development of the original Challenger design in 1995. The CRJ 700 program was initiated in 1997, with the first type taking off in 1999. BritAir, a small French Airline, received the first aircraft with 78 seats in 2001 to be operated on behalf of Air France.
Bombardier made many changes to the CRJ 700 when the aircraft was still in the testing phase. Although the model took about four years to reach completion from concept, there are three CRJ 700 versions known to us. Meanwhile, the modifications were later transformed into the concept for CRJ 900, which was developed at the right time.
By 2003, airlines that wanted to expand their current aircraft with larger planes without the additional costs started investing in CRJ 900 as it had gained its type certificate by this time.
One of the huge selling points was CRJ's compliance with United States' scope clauses that regulated how larger regional planes can be at big network carriers like American Airlines or Delta Air Lines.
CRJ 700 and 900 were popular, even among airlines in Asia and Europe. The demand for the jets was rising impeccably. Meanwhile, CRJ 200 demand was shrinking after the Brazilian aircraft manufacturing company created the ERJ and E-Jet family, both of which competed effectively with the larger CRJs for clients.
In 2006, the CRJ 200 production eventually came to a halt. CRJ 900 was further stretched, and another CRJ was announced to accommodate over 100 passengers in 2007. While a slight rudder problem caused the flight testing for CRJ 1000 to experience several delays, the promised deliveries were made by 2010.
However, only 63 CRJ 1000s were built because the larger aircraft never gained the popularity of prior variants, even after improved cabin comfort and performance.
The Future of CRJ Series
Mitsubishi soon took over the CRJ and rolled out the last CRJ aircraft in 2020 after a decent three-decade run where over 2000 jets of all variants were produced and operated across all continents. The Japanese company had hoped to use the extensive CRJ network for an entirely new regional airline setup, but the program is currently halted.
Currently, the CRJ family operates over 200,000 monthly flights, with a CRJ jet landing or taking off somewhere in the world every five seconds. While some passengers loathed the cramped seating of short-haul airplanes like CRJ 200, it undoubtedly changed the regional aviation landscape forever.
Owing to the inspiring history, many commercial pilots want to fly regional airlines. And our airline transition training program is the first step to achieving your dream career.
Aircraft simulator training at Momentum Flight Training includes simulators that replicate the systems in the Canadair Regional Jet 200, 550, 700, and 900 American airlines to enable pilots to experience flying regional aircraft in different environments.
Our full-function state-of-the-art AATD is designed to replicate a realistic feel of the flight deck environment of the canadair regional jet 700 training. All in-class and simulator-based sessions are conducted by experienced instructors who help pilots learn about aircraft systems, controls, safety, and other operations in a stress-free environment.
Familiarizing themselves with the aircraft helps pilots comprehend mechanisms and confidently handle unique flight situations. We offer 1-day, 3-day, and 5-day pilot flight training simulator designed to help regional pilots in training transition from smaller aircraft into a role with a regional airline.
Call [833] 427-5876 to talk to experienced instructors who can help create tailored programs to help meet your regional aviation training goals.