This Bombardier CRJ200 of Jazz operating as Air Canada Express pulls into the terminal at Calgary International Airport. At one time not long after the CRJ first entered service, the CRJ flew for Air Canada’s mainline for a brief time. The US and Canada signed an open skies agreement in 1995 and to build up cross-border flights from its Canada hubs quickly, Air Canada operated 26 CRJ100s for a short time. It was an unusual set up as most airlines of the time that were getting CRJs were regional partners to large mainline carriers, but for Air Canada, it was a way of building up cross border business into the United States with a lower up front cost. I was living in Kansas City at the time and my first flight on the CRJ was on one of Air Canada’s new cross border flights that connected Kansas City to Toronto Pearson (MCI-YYZ) back in the summer of 1998. The aircraft weren’t popular with passengers due their cramped interiors and I was much relieved on the return to Kansas City when flight delays resulted in getting shifted over to a United A319 flight via Chicago back to Kansas City. The CRJ100s used by the Air Canada mainline were the first Canadian built aircraft used by Air Canada since the Canadair North Stars of the 1940s which were Douglas DC-4s powered by Rolls Royce Merlin engines. #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #CYYC #YYC #Calgary #airport #planespotting #airlines #Bombardier #CRJ #CRJ200 #AirCanadaExpress #Jazz #CGUJA #instagramaviation #Avgeekery #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge (at YYC Calgary International Airport)
