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Fokker 70 / 100

Fokker · Narrowbody / Commercial Aviation · Netherlands · Cold War (1970–1991)

Fokker 70 / 100 — Narrowbody / Commercial Aviation
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The Fokker 100 is a Dutch twin-engine, T-tail, rear-fuselage-engined medium-haul jet airliner developed as the stretched successor to the F28 Fellowship. First flight came on 30 November 1986, and Swissair introduced the type into commercial service in February 1988. Between 1986 and 1997 Fokker built 283 Fokker 100s, plus 47 of the shorter Fokker 70 derivative — together one of the most successful Western 100-seat jet families of the early 1990s. Production stopped in 1997 after parent Daimler-Benz Aerospace withdrew funding, forcing Fokker into bankruptcy in March 1996. A strong second-hand market in Australia and parts of Asia kept the type in service, and 50-60 airframes were still flying in 2026, primarily with Alliance Airlines (Australia), Iran Air, and a handful of African and Middle Eastern carriers.

The airframe is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with T-tail, 35.5 m long with a 28.1 m wingspan. Empty weight is 24,375 kg and MTOW reaches 44,450 kg on later variants — about 35% heavier than the F28 Mk.4000 it replaced. Power comes from two Rolls-Royce Tay 620 or 650 turbofans rated between 13,850 lbf and 15,100 lbf, cutting trip fuel burn 20-25% versus the F28's Speys. Cruise is 850 km/h (528 mph; Mach 0.77), service ceiling 10,670 m (35,000 ft), and range 2,415 km with 100 passengers — long-range tanked variants extended this to 3,170 km. The stretched fuselage seats 107-122 against the F28 Mk.4000's 79-85, and the type introduced a Honeywell EFIS glass cockpit, redesigned cabin with overhead bins, integral airstairs, a wing 30% larger in area, and a quieter passenger environment. Its sweet spot — 100-seat short-haul work — was eventually eroded by the next generation of 70-100-seat jets (Embraer 190, CRJ900) and by Boeing 737-700 and Airbus A319 cascading into the second-hand market.

Civil operators were led by launch customer Swissair (February 1988) and by American Airlines, which built the largest single fleet at around 75 aircraft. USAir flew about 40, KLM Cityhopper took the type into European feeder work, and Brazilian flag carrier TAM peaked at around 50 — the backbone of its domestic network through the late 1990s and early 2000s. Iberia, Iran Air, Air UK / KLM uk, Mexicana, and Alliance Airlines rounded out the customer list. Government and military users included a Royal Netherlands Air Force VIP transport (PH-KBX), the Argentine Air Force, and the Brazilian Air Force. The shorter Fokker 70 (65-80 seats) entered service in 1995 but struggled commercially before the bankruptcy intervened. Western mainline passenger operations of the Fokker 100 wound down between 2010 and 2015; the type now lives on with niche short-haul carriers and with Alliance Airlines, the largest Fokker 100 operator in the world in 2026.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Fokker 100 is a Dutch twin-jet airliner that carries 100 passengers. It first flew in 1986 and entered service in 1988. The Fokker 100 was Fokker's most successful jet, with 283 built before the company went bankrupt in 1996.

The Fokker 100 has two Rolls-Royce Tay engines mounted at the back of the body, similar to the older F-28. Top speed is 525 mph, faster than most race cars. The plane is 110 feet long with a 92-foot wingspan, longer than a Boeing 737-200. The cabin is wider than a CRJ or Embraer regional jet, with five seats across (3 plus 2).

American Airlines was the biggest Fokker 100 user, with 75 of them. KLM, Iberia, US Air, TAM, and many others flew Fokker 100s. The plane was popular for regional and short-distance flights. Each cost about $30 million in the early 1990s.

Fokker went bankrupt in 1996 after losing money on the Fokker 100. Even though over 280 had been sold, Fokker could not compete with newer Embraer and Bombardier regional jets. Most Fokker 100s have been retired today, replaced by Embraer E190s and Airbus A220s. Iran is one of the few countries still flying Fokker 100s in 2026, due to sanctions blocking newer plane purchases.

Fun Facts

  • About 283 Fokker 100s were built before the company went bankrupt in 1996.
  • Top speed is 525 mph, faster than most race cars.
  • American Airlines flew 75 Fokker 100s, the most of any single airline.
  • The cabin is wider than a CRJ, with 5 seats across (3 plus 2).
  • The Fokker 100 was Fokker's most successful jet airliner.
  • Iran still flies many Fokker 100s due to U.S. sanctions blocking newer planes.
  • The Fokker 100 is a stretched, modernized version of the older F-28.

Kids’ Questions

Why did Fokker go bankrupt?

By the mid-1990s, Brazilian Embraer and Canadian Bombardier built newer regional jets that were cheaper to operate. Fokker's costs were higher because the company was smaller. Even though the Fokker 100 was a good plane, Fokker could not lower prices enough to compete. The Dutch government tried to save Fokker but eventually let it close in 1996.

How is it different from a 737?

The Fokker 100 carries about 100 passengers; the Boeing 737-700 carries about 130. The Fokker is smaller, lighter, and shorter range. The 737 has its engines under the wings; the Fokker has them at the back. The Fokker was meant for short regional routes, while the 737 flies medium-length flights between cities.

Why is Iran still using them?

U.S. sanctions prevent Iran from buying new planes from Boeing or Airbus, or from getting parts for newer Western planes. So Iran flies older planes like the Fokker 100, which it bought before the sanctions tightened. Iran is creative about keeping these old planes flying, sometimes using parts smuggled in or built locally.

Variants

Fokker 100 Standard (initial 1988)
Original 107-seat short-haul jet with Rolls-Royce Tay 620 engines. Swissair launch operator February 1988. Backbone of Fokker 100 commercial production.
Fokker 100 Extended Range (1990+)
Higher-MTOW variant with Tay 650 engines and increased fuel capacity for longer short-haul sectors. American Airlines and TAM were the principal customers.
Fokker 70 (shortened 1995+)
Shortened 65-80 seat variant. 47 built before Fokker's 1996 bankruptcy. Separate Fokker 70 entry.
Fokker 100 EJR-2 (executive)
VIP / corporate executive transport variant in limited production. Used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force, Argentine Air Force, and several private operators.
Fokker 130 (proposed)
Proposed stretched 130-seat development. Not built — superseded by Fokker's 1996 bankruptcy.

Notable Operators

Alliance Airlines (Australia, current)
Australia's principal Fokker 100 operator, with 30+ airframes in fleet at 2026, primarily on FIFO mining contracts in Western Australia and Queensland and on charter and short-haul services. Likely the world's largest current Fokker 100 fleet.
American Airlines / USAir (former, U.S.)
American Airlines was the largest single customer, peaking near 75 aircraft, and operated the type 1989-2004 on U.S. domestic short-haul routes. USAir flew around 40 through the 1990s. Both retired the type in the early 2000s as 737NG and A320 fleets cascaded into the short-haul market.
TAM Linhas Aéreas (Brazil, former)
Major Latin American operator, with up to 50 Fokker 100s — the backbone of TAM's domestic Brazilian network through the late 1990s and early 2000s. Retired around 2008 in favour of the Airbus A320 family.
Iran Air / Iranian operators (current)
Iran Air and other Iranian carriers retain 10-15 Fokker 100s in 2026, kept flying by U.S. sanctions that limit access to Western alternatives. These are among the oldest commercially-active Fokker 100s still flying.
Smaller current operators
Smaller Fokker 100 fleets continue at PNG Air (Papua New Guinea), QantasLink (former), and several African operators including some running parts-bin operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Fokker go bankrupt in 1996 if the Fokker 100 was selling?

Parent-company support disappeared. Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA) had acquired Fokker in 1993 in a deal meant to fold the Dutch firm into DASA's broader European aerospace strategy. By 1995-1996 DASA was reporting heavy losses on Fokker — production costs were running above realised sales prices, particularly on the Fokker 70 — and DaimlerChrysler decided to cut its losses and divest. Without parent funding Fokker could not bridge the gap between order intake and unit cost, and filed for bankruptcy in March 1996. By then 283 Fokker 100s and 47 Fokker 70s had been built; outstanding orders for both were cancelled. The collapse is widely viewed as a strategic failure by DASA: Fokker had a genuine commercial product but needed a different parent or independent financing model than DASA was willing to provide.

How does the Fokker 100 compare to the Boeing 737-500?

Both are 100-130 seat short-haul jets of the same era, but the 737-500 had the family-economics advantage. The Boeing 737-500 is a U.S. design with twin CFM56 engines, 389 built 1989-1999, part of an enormous 737 family with shared crew certification across 737-300/-400/-500 and onward to 737NG. The Fokker 100 is a Dutch design with twin Tay engines, 283 built 1986-1997, and a standalone product family. Boeing offered a worldwide support network, common-type-rating economics, and a long-term roadmap through 737NG and 737 MAX. Fokker offered lower trip cost on short routes and a slightly wider, more comfortable cabin. The market chose family economics; Fokker's standalone product couldn't sustain the price war. The 737NG generation eventually drove the Fokker 100 out of major Western markets through second-hand cascade.

What happened to the Fokker brand after 1996?

The type-certificate and support business survived; manufacturing did not. After the 1996 bankruptcy, Dutch industrial holding Stork acquired Fokker's services arm — now Fokker Services — which continues to provide spares, maintenance, and technical support to the Fokker 50 / 70 / 100 fleet in 2026. Fokker Aerostructures, part of GKN Aerospace since 2015, inherited the design and engineering arm and now produces composite components for Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin (F-35), and others. The brand therefore survives in two niches — fleet support and aerostructures supply — but no new aircraft have been designed under the Fokker name since 1996, and the Fokker regional-jet and turboprop family is gradually retiring as airframes age and parts grow harder to source.

How does the Fokker 100 compare to the Embraer 190?

The two are separated by 15 years. The Fokker 100 first flew in 1986, seats 100-122, runs on Tay turbofans, uses a T-tail rear-engine layout, and ended at 283 built. The Embraer E-Jets first flew in 2002 (E-170/E-190 family), seat 100-130, run on GE CF34s in a conventional underwing layout, and have passed 1,700 built and counting. The E190 is essentially what the Fokker 100 was trying to be in 2002 — same passenger count, lower fuel burn, modern fly-by-wire, lower noise. Embraer succeeded because Brazil's industrial environment, Embraer's market positioning, and the post-2001 100-seat-jet shift all aligned. Fokker arrived a decade too early for wide 70-100-seat jet acceptance and was undercut in its prime by the 737 and DC-9 second-hand markets. In effect, the Fokker 100 established the 100-seat-jet category that Embraer later captured at scale.

Where can I see a Fokker 100 in 2026?

Several preserved examples remain, plus a fleet still flying. Aviodrome (Lelystad, Netherlands — the Dutch national aviation museum) holds a comprehensive Fokker heritage exhibit including F50, F70, and F100 airframes. For flying examples, Alliance Airlines operates Fokker 100 charter and FIFO services from Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Cairns; the airframes are visible from public terminals at those airports. Iran Air runs scheduled domestic flights with Fokker 100s, accessible via international travel to Tehran or Mashhad. PNG Air operates a small fleet within Papua New Guinea.

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