CRJ-100

CRJ100 / CRJ200
J-Air CRJ200
Role	Regional jet/Business jet
National origin	Canada
Manufacturer	Bombardier Aerospace
First flight	10 May 1991
Introduction	1992 (Lufthansa)
Status	Out of production, active service
Primary users	SkyWest Airlines ExpressJet Endeavor Air Air Wisconsin
Produced	1991–2006
Number built	1021
Unit cost	US$24–39.7 million (2006)
Developed from	Bombardier Challenger 600
Variants	CRJ700/900/1000

The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliners manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet. These regional jet models were formerly known as the Canadair CRJ100 and CRJ200.

The aircraft was based on the design of the earlier Canadair Challenger airliner, which had been purchased by Canadair from American aircraft designer Bill Lear in 1976. The wide fuselage of the Challenger which seats 2 passengers on each side of the aisle suggested early on to Canadair officials that it would be straightforward to stretch the aircraft to accommodate more seats; accordingly, there was a publically-mooted plan for an improved model, designated as the Challenger 610E, which would have had seating for an additional 24 passengers. That lengthening did not occur, the effort being canceled during 1981; however, neither the concept or interest in developing an enlarged derivative did not disappear.

During 1987, studies commenced on the topic of a substantially more ambitious stretched configuration. These investigations directly led to the formal launch of the Canadair Regional Jet program during the spring of 1989. The "Canadair" name was retained despite the fact that Bombardier had already bought out the company by this time. The first of three development machines for the initial CRJ100 performed its first flight from Montréal–Mirabel International Airport on 10 May 1991, though the first prototype (C-FCRJ) was lost in a spin mishap on July 26, 1993 near the Bombardier test center in Wichita, Kansas. During late 1992, the type obtained airworthiness certification while initial deliveries to customers occurred later on that year.

During the airliner's first 100 days of operational service, it performed a total of 1,237 flights, during which it achieved a 99 per cent dispatch reliability while its fuel economy was reportedly 8 per cent superior to what had been originally forecast.