Fokker Aircraft: Ascent and Decline of a Dutch Icon

‍DALLAS — A pioneer in both commercial and military aviation, the Dutch company Fokker has slipped from prominence into history. 

From its groundbreaking fighters of the First World War to the hugely successful F27 Friendship turboprop, Fokker ranked among the leading aircraft manufacturers of the 20th century. Yet today, apart from aviation enthusiasts, the name is largely forgotten by the modern world.

Early Days

The European aerospace company Fokker was founded in 1912. Like many other plane manufacturers of the time, it took its name from its founder, Anthony Fokker, a Dutch aviator. The company was initially based in Germany, where it produced a large number of aircraft for the Imperial German Army during World War I.

The tale of Fokker’s early success cannot be told without mentioning one of its most famous and revolutionary fighters: the Fokker Eindecker (meaning “one deck” in German). What made this aircraft groundbreaking was its synchronization gear. The synchronization gear allowed pilots to fire their machine guns without hitting the propeller. 

It’s amazing to think how the bullets and the spinning blades were kept perfectly in sync. This plane demonstrated just how inventive Fokker was and quickly established the company’s name in aviation circles. This aircraft proved to be a game-changer, giving the German Army air superiority in the early stages of the war.

Postwar Growth

After the war, the signing of the Treaty of Versailles made it impossible for Germany to produce military aircraft. So, Anthony Fokker left Germany and relocated to the Netherlands, where the company shifted its focus to civil aviation. 

One of its landmark designs was the Fokker F.VII, a trimotor aircraft that paved the way for long-distance flights. Thanks to its three-engine design, it offered greater reliability and was even the first aircraft to make a transatlantic commercial passenger flight.

The F.VII launched Fokker into the civil aviation market and proved to be a significant success. It could carry 6 to 12 passengers, and by 1936, it was used by over 54 carriers worldwide, capturing more than 40% of the American market. This helped Fokker become the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer at the time.

The F.VII wasn’t just for airlines—it was also used for exploration. In November 1929, Richard Byrd, an American naval officer and pilot, flew a F.VII over the South Pole for the first time. The flight, departing from Little America, a base camp constructed on the Ross Ice Shelf, marked a significant step forward in exploring and understanding Antarctica.

Post WWII Revival

The first serious setback for Fokker came during the Second World War. The company's factories were ruthlessly bombed by Allied air raids, leaving Fokker's European operations in complete ruins. It wasn’t until 1951 that the Dutch government, recognizing Fokker’s importance, decided to revive the aerospace company.

After the company was back on its feet, the first aircraft it rolled out of its assembly line was the F-27 Friendship, a 58-seater turboprop. Compared to its competitors, such as the DC-3, the F-27 consumed less fuel, offered greater reliability, and, most importantly, provided greater passenger comfort. The F-27 was a huge success. A total of 586 F-27s were made.

Transition to the Jet Era

By the 1960s, aviation was moving fast, and the jet engine was quickly becoming the preferred choice over older, less reliable piston engines. This shift accelerated further when major manufacturers like Boeing and Douglas introduced the first successful jetliners, such as the Boeing 707 and the DC-8. 

Fokker, recognizing the advantages of jet technology, quickly began developing its own jet-powered aircraft. By 1967, the Fokker F28  Fellowship conducted its first maiden flight. Powered by Rolls-Royce Spey 555 engines, the F28 came in four variants, differing in seating capacity and maximum takeoff weight. Most models accommodated 65 to 85 passengers, placing them firmly in the short-haul regional market. 

One unusual feature of the F28 was its tail-mounted air brakes. These panels could open outward to slow the aircraft rapidly and also help the plane descend quickly from cruising altitude. At the same time, the engines could stay at higher power, allowing them to respond instantly if the pilot needed more speed, such as during a go-around. 

Since the early Spey engines didn’t have thrust reversers to save weight, the tail-mounted air brakes helped slow the aircraft after landing while keeping the engines ready for quick power if needed.​

Fokker continued to expand its jet-powered lineup with the Fokker F100 and Fokker F70. The F70 was essentially a shorter version of the F100, introduced a few years after the first F100 was rolled out. It was marketed as a modern replacement for the older F28 Fellowship. 

The F100 had a maximum seating capacity of 109 passengers, while the F70 could carry up to 85 passengers. Major operators of these aircraft included Alliance Airlines (QQ), KLM (KL), and QantasLink (QF), with QF recently phasing out their F100s in favor of the new Airbus A320 and E-190.

The Downfall

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, Fokker was struggling. The company had hoped that the F70 and F100 would help regain market share; however, while the F100 received a decent number of orders, it wasn’t enough to save the company. During this time, the Dutch government provided financial help to protect jobs and support the aerospace industry.

In the 1980s, Fokker worked on the F50, the successor to the popular F27. However, at the same time, it was developing the F-100, the follow-up to the F-28. Juggling both projects stretched resources thin, and the F50 entered service two years later than its main competitor, the ATR 42. By then, ATR had already grabbed many potential orders. 

Additionally, the regional turboprop market was highly competitive, with companies such as British Aerospace and Saab producing similar aircraft. Fokker’s profit margins were thin, and the financial strain carried over to the F100, which proved expensive to build and was often sold at a loss.

Other problems made things worse. The Dutch guilder was strong against the U.S. dollar, making Fokker planes more expensive for American airlines. As a result, the company never really broke into the U.S. market, the largest for regional jets. Meanwhile, Embraer and Bombardier had already established regional jets — the ERJ and CRJ series — that were more affordable and captured key customers.

All these issues piled up, leading to a financial collapse. The government refused to provide more bailouts, and in 1996, Fokker — once one of the world’s largest aircraft makers — declared bankruptcy.

Legacy & Current Operators

Although Fokker went bankrupt in 1996, its planes continue to fly in various parts of the world. The Fokker 100 is still in service with airlines such as Alliance Airlines (QQ) in Australia, and it can also be found with carriers in countries like Iran and Papua New Guinea. The smaller Fokker 70 is now rarer, but a few are still in service for Air Niugini (PX) and even in some government fleets. The Fokker 50 turboprop is also hanging on in smaller markets — for example, 

Air Panama (7P) still uses them for local routes. In parts of Africa and Asia, too, you’ll spot the odd Fokker still doing its job. The company itself didn’t survive, but the fact that so many of these planes are still in the air almost 30 years later shows how solid Fokker’s engineering really was.

Fokker’s exit from the aviation world demonstrates that even a company once at the very top can be brought down by a combination of problems. It shows us the importance of maintaining smooth production and controlling costs, as expensive airplanes are challenging to sell. It also shows how damaging delays can be — if your aircraft comes late to the market, competitors can easily swoop in and take the customers you were counting on.