For a short time in the late 20th century, Dutch manufacturer Fokker was a key player
in the regional jet market. Its largest regional jet was the Fokker 100, of which it produced
almost 300 in 11 years. This is its story...
While the Fokker 100 was a product of the 1980s, its origin dates back some 20 years
to the F28 ‘Fellowship’ regional jet. The F28 first flew in May 1967, and entered
service in March 1969 with former Norwegian carrier Braathens Safe.
The success of its earlier F27 ‘Friendship’turboprop prompted the Dutch planemaker to produce a
larger and faster aircraft, resulting in the F28. Then, in making various modifications
to the F28, the type would be the mother of the new Fokker 100 series. Changes included
a 5.74-meter fuselage, a three-meter wingspan, as well as new Rolls-Royce RB.183 Tay turbofans.
The larger airframe translated to an increased capacity of 97-122 passengers, up from the
largest F28 variants, which had 79-85 seats. Aerodynamic improvements to the wings also
led to a reported 30% efficiency increase while plots benefitted from a digital flight
management system and electronic instruments.
Fokker officially announced the 100 program in 1983, having received type certification
in March that year.
Following the building of prototypes, the first delivery of a production aircraft eventually
took place in February 1988, with Swissair being the recipient. A notable order came
from American Airlines requesting 75 units. At $3.1 billion in 1989, it was the largest
order for any Dutch company at the time.
The success of the Fokker 100 prompted the Dutch manufacturer to develop a new variant
known as the Fokker 70, which had a shorter 4.62-meter fuselage. It entered service in
1995, when Sempati Air began flying the type.
However, both the original Fokker 100 and the little Fokker 70 wouldn’t be as widely
produced as the manufacturer would have liked. While the 100, in particular, was a commercially
strong aircraft, its success was unable to mask years of overall losses at the company
which lead to the company’s bankruptcy in 1996.
Both aircraft remained in production until 1997, the year after Fokker’s collapse.
When all was said and done, the Fokker 100 had sold 283 units, outselling its F28 predecessor.
Meanwhile, the Fokker 70 saw just 47 examples and a single prototype produced.
It has now been more than 33 years since the Fokker 100 first entered service. Despite
this, a reasonable number remain in service nowadays. As of October 2020, airlines all
over the world were still deploying the type. Australia and Iran are particular hotspots.
In terms of how many Fokker 100s are left today, data shows that roughly 78 remain active
as of October 2021. This is just over a quarter of the total production output for the type,
and not an insignificant figure when you consider that it stopped being built in 1997.
Still flying the jet is Australian regional carrier Alliance Airlines, the type’s largest
operator. It has 23 active and two inactive examples, with an average age of 30 years.
Elsewhere in Australia, Network Aviation and Virgin Australia Regional are also key operators.
Iran is a haven for old and rare aircraft, the country’s largest 100 operator is Aseman
Airlines, with six. What do you make of the Fokker 100? Have you
ever flown on one of these rear-engined regional jets? Share your thoughts and experiences
in
the comments!