FLEET UPDATE: Fourth ex-PLUNA CRJ-900, CX-CRB (c/n 15169) departs Montevideo (MVD) to Toronto (YYZ)

PLUNA CRJ-900 CX-CRB (c/n 15169) taxis at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 22Jan11. (Phil Perry Photo)

Portal de America reports that the fourth of seven ex-company owned PLUNA CRJ-900's departed Montevideo (MVD) to the United States (actually went to Toronto) on 13May15, nearly three years after the airline's 05Jul12 shutdown. The aircraft, which flew for PLUNA as CX-CRB (c/n 15169), was re-registered for the flight as C-GMXJ with a white patch covering the old registration.     

Portal also reports that most of the former PLUNA CRJ-900 fleets' engines have apparently been poorly maintained during the last three years and have deteriorated to the point that only one set of engines has been used to fly the CRJ-900's to North America with the powerplants being taken off after each ferry flight and shipped in containers back to Uruguay for the next ferry flight.   

CX-CRB was the second CRJ-900 delivered to PLUNA on 27Mar08.  The airline went on to operate a total of 13 CRJ-900's with seven being company-owned and the other six leased, which were the first to leave the fleet after PLUNA shut down.

Of the seven company-owned aircraft, the airframes that have already left Uruguay are, in order of their departure, CX-CRF (c/n 15204) on 12Jan15, CX-CRC (c/n 15175) on 18Feb15, CX-CRG (c/n 15209) on 17Mar15 and CX-CRB (c/n 15169) on 13May15.  The three aircraft still in Montevideo (MVD) are CX-CRA (c/n 15165), CX-CRD (c/n 15180) and CX-CRE (c/n 15185). 

The seven ex-company-owned PLUNA CRJ-900's will reportedly join the fleet of GoJet Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, to fly for Delta Air Lines as a regional feeder under the Delta Connection brand.  The aircraft are scheduled for delivery between June and September this year.   

GoJet has flown regional services for Delta since 2011 with a current fleet of 45 CRJ-700's, of which 22 fly for the Atlanta-based legacy carrier. The addition of the CRJ-900's will enable Delta to further reduce its reliance on uneconomical 50-seat regional jets.        

Sources:

http://www.portaldeamerica.com/index.php/pda/otras-noticias/item/20964-y-se-va-el-cuarto-de-los-crj-900-ng-de-pluna
http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Pluna.htm