CRJ 200: Delta's Reliable Regional Jet

In December 2022, Delta Air Lines announced that its Delta Connection regional carriers will phase out the CRJ 200 by the end of the summer 2023 in order to modernize the fleet. This summer Delta will be the first network U.S. carrier to offer First Class on every flight. MotoArt welcomes N847AS, a retired Delta CRJ 200ER, to the PlaneTags fleet.  

What is the CRJ 200?

Delta N847AS: Bombardier CRJ200 flickr photo by formulanone shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license 

The Bombardier CRJ, short for Canadair Regional Jet, is a reliable and efficient regional aircraft developed from the Canadair Challenger CL-600 business jet. It made its debut in 1991 and became a popular regional jetliner, due to its low operating costs and flexibility for airlines. The CRJ was designed for short and medium haul flights and could carry about 50 passengers. 

N847AS flickr photo by redlegsfan21 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license 

The CRJ 200 was first announced in 1995 and went into service in 1996, four years after its predecessor CRJ100 entered service. Production ended in 2006 with 709 CRJ 200s produced. 

CRJ200ER At a Glance

Specifications

• Manufacturer: Bombardier Aerospace
• Tail #: N847AS
• Crew: 4 (2 Pilots, 2 Flight Attendants)
• Seats: 50 Passengers
• Wing Span: 69 Ft 7 In
• Length: 87 Ft 10 In
• Height:  20 Ft 5 In

Performance

• Range: 1,345 Nm
• Cruise Speed: 424 Kts
• Ceiling: 41,000 Ft
• Empty Weight: 30,900 Lbs
• Max Takeoff Weight: 53,000 Lbs
• Rate Of Climb: 3,701 Ft / Minute
• Engine: 2x General Electric Cf34-3b1 Turbofans

Delta Connection

 Delta Connection is Delta Air Lines’ regional airline brand, which allows regional airlines to operate short and medium haul routes via code sharing agreements. Currently, the airlines are Endeavor Air, Republic Airways, and SkyWest Airlines. There is a scope clause agreement between Delta and its mainline pilots to limit what type and how many aircraft that can be flown by Delta Connection airlines. Currently, the agreement allows the following:

• 125 aircraft with seats 50 or fewer
• 102 aircraft with 51 and 70 seats, and
• 223 aircraft with up to 76 seats

Atlantic Southeast Airlines/Express Jet

Atlantic Southeast Airlines began service in 1979, with one route in Georgia. It soon grew to be one of the largest regional airlines in the world. ASA began service with Delta Connection on March 1, 1984 as the first regional airline. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines between May 1999 and September 2005, then purchased by Sky West. According to airfleets.net, Atlantic Southeast Airlines had 136 CRJ 200 aircraft between 1997 and 2011. In 2011, ASA merged with ExpressJet and began operating under its brand. 

N847AS

Delta N847AS: Bombardier CRJ200 flickr photo by formulanone shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license 

N847AS was built in 1999 as a CRJ 200ER, and was delivered to Atlantic Southeast Airlines September 16, 1999. ASA, a Delta Connection partner since 1984, operated feeder flights along the Midwest and Eastern United States. In 2011 ASA merged with Express Jet and began operating under their brand, and at one time was the world’s largest regional airline by fleet size. N847AS retired in September 2016 and was stored in Blytheville, Arkansas. MotoArt acquired this aircraft in 2022 and created CRJ PlaneTags in 2023. 

N847AS - Bombardier CRJ-200ER - Delta Connection flickr photo by Colin Brown Photography shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license 

How N847AS Became PlaneTags

MotoArt owner Dave Hall was glad to add a Delta CRJ to the PlaneTags collection. MotoArt had previously created CRJ 200LR PlaneTags especially for Endeavor Air, one of Delta Connection's current regional airlines. "We've had so much interest in the Endeavor CRJ PlaneTags we created for the airline," says Hall. "We're glad we are now able to offer CRJ 200ER PlaneTags to collectors and fans."

The skin was removed by the cutting team and brought back to MotoArt PlaneTags headquarters in Torrance, California to be made into PlaneTags. All PlaneTags are handcrafted at our shop. 

Delta CRJ 200ER PlaneTags

Our Delta CRJ PlaneTags will be available on planetags.com on January 19, 2023. They are numbered in a series of 4,000 PlaneTags. They will initially be offered in the following variants (and combinations of these):

• Delta Blue
• Delta Dark Red
• Delta Light Red
• White

A portion of each Delta CRJ PlaneTags purchase will be donated to the Delta Care Fund. Add one, or a complete set, to your collection while they are available. 

Delta Air Lines PlaneTags

Are you caught up with the Delta Collection of PlaneTags? They are beautiful to look at and collect. A portion of all Delta PlaneTags is donated to the Delta Care Fund which helps employees in times of need.