Gemini 200 1:200 Bombardier CRJ900: Air Canada

The Bombardier CRJ700, CRJ900, and CRJ1000 are a family of regional jet airliners designed and manufactured by Canadian transportation conglomerate Bombardier; this aircraft trio has been collectively marketed by the company as the CRJ Series. Their design was derived from the smaller CRJ100 and 200 airliners.

The CRJ900 is a stretched 76–90 seat version of the CRJ700. The airplane is loosely based on the CRJ200 series with a few major improvements. The first CRJ900 (C-FRJX) was modified from the prototype CRJ700 by adding longer fuselage plugs fore and aft of the wings. It was later converted into the prototype CRJ1000 by replacing the fuselage plugs with longer plugs.[66] The CRJ900 also features strakes located at the rear of the plane. The CRJ900 competes with the Embraer 175, and is more efficient per seat-mile, according to Bombardier. Mesa Air Group was the launch customer for the CRJ900 painted in America West livery. The FAA Type Certificate designation of the CRJ900 is the CL-600-2D24.

The wing is wider with added leading edge slats, the tail is redesigned with more span and anhedral. The cabin floor has been lowered 2 inches which gains outward visibility from the windows in the cabin as the windows become closer to eye level height. The cabin has a recirculation fan which aids in cooling and heating. The environmental packs have a target temperature instead of a hot-cold knob. The APU is a Honeywell RE220 unit, which supplies much more air to the AC packs and has higher limits for starting and altitude usage.

The aircraft features two GE CF34-8C5 engines, 59.4 kN (13,400 lbf) thrust with APR. The engines are controlled by FADEC digital engine control instead of control cables and a fuel control unit. In typical service, the CRJ900 can cruise 8–10,000 ft higher with a slightly higher fuel burn and an average true airspeed of 450–500 knots, a significant improvement over its predecessor. Its maximum ground takeoff weight is 84,500 pounds.

In 2018, the CRJ900's list price was $48 million while its market value was $24M; reportedly, most customers are paying around $20–22M and the American Airlines order for 15 was at below $20M. A 2012 aircraft was worth less than $14M and it was to fall by 30% in 2021.

Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by fleet size and passengers carried. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 207 destinations worldwide. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Air Canada's corporate headquarters are in Montreal, Quebec, while its largest hub is at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The airline's regional service is Air Canada Express.

Canada's national airline originated from the Canadian federal government's 1936 creation of Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA), which began operating its first transcontinental flight routes in 1938. In 1965, TCA was renamed Air Canada following government approval. After the deregulation of the Canadian airline market in the 1980s, the airline was privatized in 1988. On 4 January 2000, Air Canada acquired its largest rival, Canadian Airlines. In 2003, the airline filed for bankruptcy protection and in the following year emerged and reorganized under the holding company ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. In 2017, Air Canada flew 48 million passengers, as the airline celebrated its 80th anniversary.

Air Canada has a fleet of Airbus A330, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, and Boeing 787 Dreamliner wide-body aircraft on long-haul routes and uses the Airbus A320 family aircraft (including the A319, A320, and A321 variants), Boeing 737 MAX 8, and Airbus A220-300 aircraft on short-haul routes. The carrier's operating divisions include Air Canada Cargo, Air Canada Express, Air Canada Jetz (private jet charters), and Air Canada Rouge (leisure airline). Its subsidiary, Air Canada Vacations, provides vacation packages to over 90 destinations. Together with its regional partners, the airline operates on average more than 1,613 scheduled flights daily.