Summary Fokker spread too thin by pursuing two different aircraft programs simultaneously, ultimately leading to bankruptcy. Fokker's decision to release the Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 despite delays contributed to their failure in the market. Lower-than-anticipated sales of the Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 led to commercial losses, challenging the company's recovery.
While today the regional jet market is overwhelmingly dominated by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier and Brazilian planemaker Embraer, in the 1980s and 1990s, the industry was ripe with dozens of competitors. Some of the major designers of regional jets for decades have included Saab, British Aerospace, ATR, and many others, in addition to the duopoly that controls the market today. One company that had become a major player on the regional jet scene for years was Dutch manufacturer Fokker, which built commercial jets that entered service across the globe.
Today, however, no more planes are rolling off this once-massive manufacturer’s assembly lines, and the reasoning behind its collapse is fascinating to explore. From building aircraft families that sold over 1,000 jets to being a commercial failure that went out of business by the mid-2000s, several decisions made by the company’s executives led to its fall from grace. In this article, we will take a deeper look at what happened to Dutch manufacturer Fokker.
Background The Fokker company has an extensive history in commercial aviation, and its founder, Anthony Fo.