Russia puts CRJ900 on ice

Transport Canada and Canadian government officials in Moscow have appealed to Russian authorities to issue certification for the Bombardier CRJ900, two of which Kazan-based Tatarstan Airlines had received this summer but may not operate until the 86-seat regional jet gains approval to fly in the CIS. The airline, which placed a firm order for six of the airplanes, has leased the first pair to a carrier in United Arab Emirates in the interim. As of press time, according to a Bombardier spokesman, the Russian authorities hadn’t given a reason for the delay or reported on the status of their review. He added, however, that the Havilland Dash 8-100 and the CRJ100 each won certification before their planned service entry dates in the CIS. In this case, however, the nascent Sukhoi Superjet 100 stands as a direct competitor to the CRJ900, a fact that has raised suspicion of political motives behind the delay.