The Fokker 70 and larger Fokker 100 have to fight for every sale against the reinvigorated BAe 146, the Avro RJ series. At press time Fokker 70 firm sales stood at 70, Avro RJ family sales have reached 97. Pictured is a Fokker 70 in America West Express livery. (Fokker)
Update – Fokker 70
Fokker 70
A recent demonstration tour of Australia by the Fokker 70 regional twinjet highlights the Dutch manufacturer’s strong desires to re-enter the Australasian market.
It is eight years since Fokker, now owned by Daimler-Benz Aerospace, has sold an aircraft in Australia, but it is confident that the favourable reaction to its Fokker 70 will ultimately see a strong return of the name to the region. Julian Green reports.
The tour of a recently delivered Pelita Air Fokker 70 is aimed at meeting the Australian market head-on in its search for a 60 to 80 seat jet to complement 737 and A320 operations. The capacity of the Fokker 70, which in standard configuration for the Australian market seats 72 passengers at 32in/34in pitch, fills the open segment between 36 to 50 seat turboprops and the larger 100 to 150 seat jet aircraft. The middle sizing of the Fokker 70 stands to provide more economical operations on long thin routes where the larger jets are currently operating with lower load factors, and to provide enhanced capacity on growing turboprop routes. The increasing popularity of hub bypass operations in Australia also makes the twinjet attractive to regional operators keen to stimulate new markets along the east coast.
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