Light Passenger Jets
Bombardier CRJ 705
ICAO: CRJ9
Overview
The CRJ900 stretched the CRJ700 to carry up to 90 passengers, first flew on 21 February 2001 and entered service in 2003. It is the most common regional jet on US feeder routes, flown in 76-seat form to fit pilot-contract scope clauses. Production ended with a CRJ900 delivered to SkyWest on 28 February 2021.
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Specifications
Units
- Engine
- 2 × General Electric CF34-8C5 turbofans
- Engine type
- Turbofan
- Thrust
- 2 × 13,123 lbf · 58 kN
- Avionics
- Rockwell Collins ProLine 4
- Wing tips
- No winglets
- Seats
- 38 economy · 20 business · 12 first
- Crew
- —
- Cabin width
- 8 ft 5 in · 2.57 m
- Cabin height
- 6 ft 2 in · 1.89 m
- Cabin length
- 69 ft 5 in · 21.16 m
- Exterior length
- 118 ft 11 in · 36.25 m
- Tail height
- 24 ft 7 in · 7.50 m
- Fuselage diameter
- 8 ft 10 in · 2.69 m
- Wing span
- 81 ft 7 in · 24.87 m
- Baggage volume
- 889 ft³ · 25.2 m³
- Gross weight
- —
- Empty weight
- —
- Max takeoff weight
- 84,500 lb · 38,300 kg
- Max landing weight
- —
- Max payload
- 23,300 lb · 10,600 kg
- Fuel capacity
- 2,900 gal · 11,000 L · 8,800 kg (Jet A)
- Max cruise speed
- 475 kt · 547 mph · 880 km/h
- Maximum speed
- —
- Cruise speed
- —
- Approach speed
- —
- Range
- 1,553 nm · 1,790 mi · 2,880 km
- Fuel burn
- 0.63 nm/gal · 0.31 km/L
- Ceiling
- 41,000 ft · 12,500 m
- Rate of climb
- 2,000 ft/min · 10 m/s
- Takeoff distance
- 6,400 ft · 1,940 m
- Landing distance
- 5,300 ft · 1,620 m
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Operational Context
Table of Contents
What is the Bombardier CRJ900?
The Bombardier CRJ900 is a twin-engine regional jet, the stretched version of the CRJ700 and a descendant of the original Canadair Regional Jet. Airlines can fit up to 90 passengers in it.
It first flew on 21 February 2001, about five months ahead of schedule. The first aircraft was delivered in April 2003, and Mesa Air Group was the launch customer.
The design aim was simple. Give airlines more seats on busy regional routes without stepping up to a narrowbody.
What does CRJ stand for?
CRJ stands for Canadair Regional Jet. Canadair was the Canadian manufacturer that launched the family.
The program later passed to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. That deal was announced on 25 June 2019 and closed on 1 June 2020, which is why the type certificate now reads MHI RJ Aviation, formerly Bombardier.
Where are CRJ jets made?
The CRJ series was built by Bombardier in Canada. Production is over.
The last CRJ ever built was a CRJ900, delivered to SkyWest Airlines on 28 February 2021. About 487 CRJ900s had been delivered by 1 January 2021.
Why airlines fly it with 76 seats
Most US regional flying is done on contracts that cap the size of the aircraft a partner airline can operate. That is called a scope clause, and it is why the CRJ900 matters so much in North America.
The 76-seat layout is the common answer. Delta describes its CRJ-900 in two layouts, 70 seats and 76 seats, both with 12 First and 20 Delta Comfort seats.
The difference is in the main cabin, where Delta lists 38 seats in the 70-seat layout and 44 in the 76-seat layout. The seat row on the spec panel above reflects the 70-seat arrangement.
CRJ900 variants
The base CRJ900 was followed by the ER and the long-range CRJ900LR. The LR carries the 84,500 lb (38,300 kg) maximum takeoff weight and the longest range of the three, about 1,828 nautical miles (3,385 km) according to Wikipedia.
In 2007 Bombardier launched the CRJ900 NextGen. It borrowed improvements from the CRJ1000, including roughly 5.5% better fuel economy, a redesigned cabin with larger overhead bins and longer maintenance intervals.
Mesaba Aviation, now Endeavor Air, was the NextGen launch customer and remains the largest CRJ900 operator.
Flying the CRJ900: Delta cabins
This is the aircraft behind many Delta Connection flights, operated by Endeavor Air and SkyWest. The cabin is two seats on each side, with a single seat on one side of First, so there are no middle seats.
Delta lists Delta First seats at 19.6 in (50 cm) wide and Delta Comfort and Main seats at 17.3 in (44 cm) wide. Comfort has a 34 in (86 cm) pitch, against 30 to 34 in in the 70-seat Main cabin and 31 in in the 76-seat one.
Delta advertises Wi-Fi, USB power and in-seat outlets on the type. A January 2026 Delta update says the CRJ-700 and CRJ-900 have in-seat power in First and Comfort.
Amenities vary by tail number, so check the seat map for your flight. Delta has no wheelchair-accessible lavatory on this type.
Cockpit and engines
The flight deck uses a two-pilot crew with a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 glass cockpit. Engine data comes up on an EICAS display.
Two General Electric CF34-8C5 turbofans sit on the rear fuselage, which keeps the wings clean. Both have full authority digital engine control.
The numbers behind the panel
The full specification table for the aircraft is on this page. A few points need context.
Range depends on the variant. The base CRJ900, the ER and the LR carry different fuel and weights, so quoted ranges run from about 1,350 to 1,828 nautical miles. The panel shows a typical figure, not the LR maximum.
Speed is quoted differently by different sources. Delta publishes a cruising speed of 515 mph (829 km/h), while the panel’s legacy cruise row stores a maximum cruise figure.
CRJ900 safety record
The CRJ900 has a good overall record, but it is no longer accident free. Two serious accidents have involved the CRJ900LR in the past two years.
On 17 February 2025, a Delta Connection CRJ900LR landed upside down at Toronto Pearson, shearing off its right wing. All 80 people aboard were evacuated and no one died, but about 21 were injured. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading that investigation.
On 22 March 2026, an Air Canada Express CRJ900, operated by Jazz Aviation, collided with a fire vehicle on Runway 4 at New York LaGuardia after arriving from Montreal. The captain and first officer were killed, according to the NTSB, which says its investigation is ongoing and the information is preliminary.
Wikipedia calls it the first fatal accident of a CRJ900. The January 2025 Washington midair collision involved a CRJ701, a different variant.
Where it stands now
Deliveries stopped in 2021, but the CRJ900 will fly for years. SkyWest, Endeavor Air, PSA Airlines and Mesa are among the biggest operators of the CRJ700 series.
For similar jets, compare the Bombardier CRJ 1000, the Bombardier Q400 and the Bombardier CS300. You can also browse every Bombardier Aerospace model.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bombardier CRJ 900 airplane?
It is a regional jet that is a stretched CRJ700, built by Bombardier and seating up to 90 passengers. Most airlines fly it with 70 to 76 seats.
What does CRJ stand for?
CRJ stands for Canadair Regional Jet, after the Canadian company that launched the family.
Does Delta CRJ900 have TVs?
Delta’s aircraft page lists Wi-Fi, USB power and in-seat outlets for the CRJ-900, and one seat guide says there are no seatback screens. Plan to stream to your own device, and check your flight’s seat map for what is installed.
Where are CRJ jets made?
Bombardier built them in Canada, near Montreal. The last CRJ, a CRJ900, was delivered to SkyWest on 28 February 2021.
Is the CRJ900 still in production?
No. Production of the CRJ series ended in 2020 and the final delivery came in February 2021.
Has a CRJ900 had a fatal accident?
Yes. On 22 March 2026, Air Canada Express Flight 8646 hit a fire vehicle while landing at LaGuardia and both pilots died, per the NTSB. The February 2025 Toronto crash of a Delta Connection CRJ900LR had no fatalities.
Sources and references used for research and fact-checking.