Originally Posted by ToiletDuck
As far as what will happen goes I don't see RJs being that good of a deal for people to actually want them. Pretty much all the side markets have been filled. There are aircraft that go higher, faster, further, and do so more efficiently than the RJs.
A Challenger 850 doesn't really compete with the Gulfstream 450/550, Falcon 2000EX/900EX, or even the Global Express; it simply doesn't have the range. In fact, the Challenger 850 holds less fuel than a Challenger 604 does! They are all different airplanes, largely for different missions...not to mention those aircraft would cost
at least double the price of a nicely equipped converted CRJ. Look no farther than the success of the Embraer Legacy...
True they don't fit as many people but if that's your market then they'd have BBJs.
Do you have any earthly idea what the acquisition and direct operating cost of a BBJ would be, especially compared to an 850 or Legacy?
If the CRJ had that much of a future they would have been marketed already.
You can buy a Challenger 850 directly from Bombardier, or from any number of companies doing conversions of these aircraft. The Limited has a couple CRJ-200s they use as a corporate shuttle, Penske Racing has a 200 (or was it a 700?) they use as a shuttle, Indy Racing League has 700 they use as well.
There
is a market for a corporate CRJ, and it is just now starting to blossom.