Regional king

Fokker 100 continues its reign over Australian regions

When the world learned this May that King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands had been moonlighting as a pilot of Dutch-manufactured regional jets for national airline KLM, the Fokker 100 and 70 family of aircraft — relatively rare, globally speaking — was thrust into the spotlight. Yet with fewer than three hundred of these jets ever manufactured, this relatively rare jet is a frequent sight in skies in and around Australis, wearing the Qantas, Virgin Australia and Alliance liveries, among other smaller operators.

The low capital outlay, modest operating costs and robust construction of the Fokker 100 in particular have proven remarkably popular among regional Australian operators in the second hand market.