The Aircraft of MDT: Bombardier CRJ

Welcome to the fourth installment of The Aircraft of MDT. In this series we are taking a look at some of the aircraft that you may spot flying to and from Harrisburg International Airport.

The Bombardier CRJ does not make the most flights to and from Harrisburg International Airport (that distinction goes to the Dash 8), but, with a potential maximum of over 24,000 per month, it does carry the most passengers. Aircraft in the CRJ family are operated by three of MDT’s airline partners: Delta, United Airlines, and US Airways. The CRJ comes in several variants, but the three that fly into Harrisburg are the CRJ200, CRJ700, and CRJ900. They are able to carry 50, 66 or 70 (depending on the airline), and 86 passengers, respectively.

Delta flight 5254 to Atlanta (ATL) prepares
to depart on a CRJ200

The CRJ name is an initialism for Canadair Regional Jet. The line is manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace, but the CRJ program was initiated by Canadair shortly before they were acquired, and after the purchase, the name stuck. Based on the Canadair Challenger business jet, the CRJ100 was introduced in 1992. The CRJ200, identical to the 100 except for its more efficient engines, followed shortly thereafter.

Following the success of the CRJ100/200, Bombardier launched the CRJ700 program. The CRJ700 family is based on the CRJ200, but features a new wing design as well as a body with a slightly larger circumference. The family includes the 66-78 seat CRJ700, the 75-90 seat CRJ900, and the 86-104 seat CRJ1000. The CRJ700 began service in 2001.