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Fokker F28 Fellowship

Fokker · Fixed Wing / Regional Jet Airliner · Netherlands · Early Jet (1946–1969)

Fokker F28 Fellowship — Fixed Wing / Regional Jet Airliner
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The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a Dutch twin-engine, T-tail short-haul jet airliner built by Fokker from 1967 to 1987. As Fokker's first commercial jet, the F28 established the Dutch manufacturer as a credible competitor to the Boeing 737, Douglas DC-9, and BAC 1-11 in the feeder-jet market. Fokker built 241 airframes in the Netherlands, with no licence variants. First flight came on 9 May 1967, and LTU International of Germany inaugurated commercial service in March 1969. Reliable Rolls-Royce Spey turbofans, the T-tail layout, integral airstairs that freed the type from airport ground equipment, and good short-field performance from austere feeder airfields made the F28 a preferred inter-city jet for around 80 operators across roughly 50 nations through the 1970s and 1980s. Revenue from the F28 directly funded development of the later Fokker 100 and Fokker 70.

Configured as a low-wing cantilever monoplane with rear-fuselage engines and a T-tail, the F28 measures 27.4 m long in the Mk.1000 and 35.5 m in the Mk.4000, on a 25.1 m wingspan. Empty weight is around 17,200 kg; MTOW reaches 33,110 kg in the Mk.4000. Power comes from two Rolls-Royce RB.183 Spey turbofans rated at about 9,900 lbf each — the same engine family used on the BAC 1-11 and Hawker Siddeley HS 125. Cruise runs at 845 km/h (525 mph; Mach 0.79), service ceiling is 10,700 m (35,000 ft), and the Mk.4000 covers about 2,900 km with a full load. Defining features include the T-tail with rear-mounted engines (the standard twin-jet layout of the era, shared with the DC-9, BAC 1-11, and Tupolev Tu-134); integral airstairs at the front-left fuselage door for self-sufficient operation away from jetbridges; a 65–85 seat cabin depending on variant; and short-field performance close to that of its F27 Friendship turboprop predecessor. The F28's main selling points were independence from full airline infrastructure and jet-class passenger comfort against contemporary turboprops.

Civil customers included LTU International (launch operator, March 1969), Linjeflyg of Sweden, Swissair, Iberia, Garuda Indonesia, Pelita Air Service, Pakistan International Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Royal Brunei Airlines, Air Niugini, Surinam Airways, KLM Cityhopper, NLM CityHopper, Air Anglia of the UK, TAT of France, and Olympic Airways of Greece. Military and government users included the Royal Netherlands Air Force (around 2 in VIP transport service), the Argentine Air Force and Aerolíneas Argentinas, the Indonesian Air Force, and the Peruvian Air Force. Production ended in 1987 with a direct handover to the Fokker 100, which had first flown in 1986. Earnings from the F28 underwrote Fokker programmes right up to the company's 1995 bankruptcy.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Fokker F-28 Fellowship is a Dutch twin-jet airliner. It first flew in 1967 and was Fokker's first jet airliner. The F-28 carries 65 to 85 passengers on short routes, similar to today's Embraer E170 or Bombardier CRJ-700.

The F-28 has two Rolls-Royce Spey jet engines mounted at the back of the body, near the T-tail. Top speed is 528 mph, faster than most race cars. The plane is 89 feet long with a 82-foot wingspan, longer than a school bus. The rear-mounted engines keep the cabin quieter than wing-engine designs.

About 241 F-28s were built between 1967 and 1987. Airlines around the world flew them, including KLM, Linjeflyg, Air Niugini, US Air, Empire Airlines, and dozens of others. The F-28 was popular in Indonesia, where it flew between small islands too short for bigger jets.

The F-28 was eventually replaced by the bigger Fokker 70 and Fokker 100. By the 2000s, most F-28s had been retired. Today a few F-28s still fly as cargo planes in Asia and the Pacific. The plane is the predecessor of the more famous Fokker 100, which became Fokker's biggest hit before the company closed in 1996.

Fun Facts

  • The F-28 was Fokker's first jet airliner, first flying in 1967.
  • Top speed is 528 mph, faster than most race cars.
  • About 241 F-28s were built between 1967 and 1987.
  • The two engines are mounted at the back, near the T-tail.
  • The bigger Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 replaced the F-28.
  • Indonesia flew F-28s between small islands too short for bigger jets.
  • A few F-28s still fly as cargo planes in Asia and the Pacific.

Kids’ Questions

Why are the engines on the back?

Rear-mounted engines let the F-28 have a clean wing, with no engine pods hanging under it. The wing can be thinner and lighter, helping the plane be efficient at slower speeds. The cabin is also quieter because the engines are far from the passengers. The downside is more weight at the back, making the plane harder to balance.

How is it different from the Fokker 100?

The Fokker 100 is a stretched, modernized F-28. It carries about 100 passengers (vs 65-85 for the F-28), uses newer engines, and has a glass cockpit. From outside, the two planes look very similar. The Fokker 100 was Fokker's last big success before the company closed in 1996.

Why are most retired?

The F-28's engines burn more fuel than newer designs. As fuel prices rose, airlines switched to more efficient planes like the Embraer E170 and Bombardier CRJ-700. The F-28 also has 1960s electronics that need updating. Most airlines retired their F-28s by the early 2000s. Cargo operators kept a few flying for low-cost short routes.

Variants

F28 Mk.1000 (initial 1969)
Original 65-seat short-fuselage variant powered by Rolls-Royce Spey Mk.555-15 engines. Around 97 built.
F28 Mk.2000 (1971)
Stretched 79-seat variant. Around 10 built; limited commercial appeal.
F28 Mk.3000 (improved 1977+)
Improved short-fuselage variant with stronger Spey Mk.555-15H engines, updated systems, and increased range. Around 63 built.
F28 Mk.4000 (stretched 1976+, principal late variant)
The dominant late variant — 79–85-seat stretched fuselage with updated systems and improved Speys. Around 71 built; backbone of late F28 commercial operations.
F28 Mk.5000 / Mk.6000 (proposed)
Proposed upgraded variants. Not built — superseded by Fokker 70 / Fokker 100 development from 1983.

Notable Operators

KLM Cityhopper / NLM CityHopper (Netherlands)
Dutch operations ran through the 1990s. KLM Cityhopper and NLM CityHopper flew the F28 on European feeder routes before progressively replacing it with the Fokker 70 / 100 and then Embraer 70-seat jets through the 1990s and 2000s.
LTU International / Lufthansa CityLine (former Germany)
LTU was the launch customer in March 1969. Lufthansa CityLine flew the F28 on German domestic and European feeder routes from the 1970s into the 1990s.
Garuda Indonesia / Pelita Air Service / Royal Brunei Airlines / Air Niugini (Asia-Pacific)
Indonesia was a particularly large customer, with around 50+ Mk.4000 / Mk.3000 in service across Garuda, Pelita, and Merpati Nusantara on inter-island routes.
U.S. operators (Piedmont Airlines, Empire Airlines, US Air, others)
Piedmont Airlines was a major F28 user with around 50 in the fleet at peak. The 1989 Piedmont–USAir merger folded the fleet into US Air operations through the 1990s.
Military / VIP operators
Royal Netherlands Air Force (VIP transport variant), Argentine Air Force, Indonesian Air Force, and Peruvian Air Force, among others. Around 10–15 military F28s globally.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the F28 compare to the DC-9 and the BAC 1-11?

All three were direct competitors of broadly similar configuration. The DC-9 was the U.S. design, with twin JT8D engines and around 976 built 1965–1982 plus around 1,191 MD-80 / MD-90 derivatives — the dominant U.S. domestic short-haul jet of the 1970s–1990s and far higher in volume than the F28. The BAC 1-11 was British, with twin Speys and around 244 built 1965–1989, serving heavily in the UK and Europe. The F28 Fellowship was the Dutch entry, also twin-Spey, with 241 built 1969–1987 and strong sales in Europe and Asia. In scale the F28 was closest to the BAC 1-11; its edge over the British type came from a stronger structure (fewer fatigue cracks) and better short-field performance.

Why is the F28 called 'Fellowship'?

Fokker chose friendly community names for successive product families: F27 'Friendship' for the inter-city turboprop and F28 'Fellowship' for the inter-city jet. The 'Fellowship' name worked on three levels: continuity with the F27 Friendship brand; the compact 65–85 seat scale of the aircraft compared with much larger 707 / DC-8 long-haul jets; and a friendly, approachable image aimed at the feeder and commuter market. Both names stuck, retaining brand recognition across the F27 and F28's long service lives.

Why did Fokker stop F28 production?

Fokker transitioned to the upgraded Fokker 70 / Fokker 100 family. By the mid-1980s the 1965-vintage F28 design was dated in cabin technology, avionics, and engine fuel-efficiency. Fokker launched the Fokker 100 in 1983 with Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans (more fuel-efficient than Speys), a glass cockpit, a redesigned cabin, and a stretched fuselage seating 107–122 versus the F28's 65–85. First flight came in November 1986, and the production line switched directly from F28 to Fokker 100 in 1987. The shorter Fokker 70 followed in 1993 to give late F28 customers a 65–80 seat replacement.

Are F28s still flying in 2026?

Only a handful. Age (50+ years) and Stage 4 noise regulations have effectively grounded unmodified Spey-powered jets in U.S. and European airspace. Around 5–10 F28s remain in service in 2026, mostly as VIP and government transports in regions without strict noise restrictions (some African, Latin American, and Asian operators) plus a few cargo examples. European commercial passenger operations ended around 2010–2015; Indonesian and other Asian feeder operators kept flying into the late 2010s.

Where can I see an F28?

Several survivors are on display, including Aviodrome (Lelystad, Netherlands), Aerospace Bristol in the UK, and aviation museums in Australia, Indonesia, Argentina, and the Netherlands. The 241-airframe production run across roughly 50 operator nations left a healthy preservation pool. The Aviodrome example is among the most comprehensive F28 displays, sitting alongside the F27 Friendship, Fokker 50, and Fokker 100 in the Dutch national aviation museum's Fokker heritage section.

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