Fokker 50

It was the right product for a market already shifting away from turboprops. The Fokker 50 sold steadily through the late 1980s and early 1990s, but airline economics changed: the rise of the 50-90-seat short-haul jet — Bombardier CRJ200 first flight 1991, Embraer ERJ-145 first flight 1995 — gave airlines a faster, jet-class product that passengers preferred even at slightly higher trip cost. Fokker's response, the larger Fokker 70 / 100 short-haul jets, sold reasonably well but were undercut on price by Boeing 737-300/-500 and DC-9-30 second-hand airframes. When orders dropped sharply in 1995-1996, parent DASA (Daimler-Benz Aerospace) declined further support and the company filed for bankruptcy in March 1996. 213 Fokker 50s were built; production stopped immediately on bankruptcy.

Direct competitors in the 50-70 seat short-haul turboprop class. The ATR 72 is a French-Italian low-wing design, with around 1,300 built since 1989 and still in production in 2026 — the dominant Western short-haul turboprop after Fokker's exit. The Fokker 50 is a Dutch high-wing design, 213 built 1985-1996. The ATR 72 wins on production scale, ongoing manufacturer support, and order book; the Fokker 50 offers high-wing passenger comfort, better downward views, and easier ground access. Both share the PW100-series engine family. The ATR's post-1996 dominance shows the importance of manufacturer continuity — airlines that lost factory support gradually retired Fokker 50s as airframes aged.

Yes — around 90 airframes are in service in 2026, principally with African, Middle Eastern, and Asian short-haul carriers plus a smaller European and Australian charter and corporate fleet. Operators include Skippers Aviation (around 10 in Western Australia), Daallo Airlines (Somalia), and Bahir Dar Airlines (Ethiopia). Fokker Services, the post-1996 type-certificate holder, continues to provide spares and maintenance. Structural longevity is good — early airframes are still flying after 30+ years — but airframes are gradually being retired as parts pricing rises and ATR 42/72 second-hand alternatives become more economic.

Same airframe, everything else updated. The Fokker 50 keeps the F27's wing planform, fuselage cross-section, tail layout, and undercarriage geometry essentially unchanged. What changed: (1) engines — Pratt & Whitney Canada PW125B turboprops replaced the Rolls-Royce Dart, cutting fuel burn by 15-20% and trip noise by around 10 dB; (2) propellers — six-blade Dowty composite props instead of four-blade aluminium Darts; (3) cockpit — Honeywell EFIS glass cockpit in place of the F27's analog instrumentation; (4) cabin — overhead bins, updated lighting, lower noise; (5) hydraulic, electrical, and air-conditioning systems all updated. The pitch was 'F27 reliability plus 1980s technology' — structurally it's as much an F27 derivative as the Boeing 737NG is a 737-200 derivative.

Several preserved examples plus a fleet still flying. For preserved airframes, Aviodrome at Lelystad in the Netherlands — the Dutch national aviation museum — holds comprehensive Fokker heritage. For flying examples, Skippers Aviation runs a public-charter Fokker 50 fleet at Perth Airport in Western Australia on FIFO mining contracts; passenger access requires a contract booking but airframes are visible from the public observation deck. African and Asian operators run scheduled passenger services, though access can be irregular.