Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturing company in the 20th century. At one point, it was the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer. After 86 years, it ceased operations. How did one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturing company in the 1920s and 1930s eventually fold? What lessons can we learn from it?
How Fokker Began
Fokker was founded in 1912 by Anthony Fokker, an aircraft engineer who was said to have worked in the aviation sector all his life and was at the time a twenty-year-old studying in Germany. After a successful but brief career of partnering with another aircraft engineer named Hugo Junkers, to build aircraft for the German Air Force during the First World War, Anthony Fokker returned to the Netherlands where he was from started his own aircraft company which he christened his last name – Fokker. In no time, due to the innovative prowess of the company, the company extended beyond the Netherlands and soon had branches in the United States. Fokker continued to build aircraft for military purposes, some of which were used in the Second World War, but the company majorly built civil aircraft for commercial purposes.
Fokker experienced its most successful period in the 1920s and 1930s. It was at the time the largest aircraft manufacturing company in the world. The company was still succeeding when the founder, Anthony Fokker died after surgery for an infection.
After and during the Second World War, Fokker experienced certain setbacks and the company filed for bankruptcy before finally ceasing operations in 1996.
Initial Success aka – Fokker’s Golden Age
Fokker’s most successful period was in the 1920s and 1930s. It was at that time, the largest aircraft manufacturing company in the world, owning factories both in the Netherlands and in the United States.
The company made a lot of profit from producing military aircraft that were used by several countries in the First and Second World Wars. One of Fokker’s military aircraft, produced in 1935, was called Fokker D.XXI, a fighter aircraft
Fokker also established itself as an aircraft manufacturing company that made regular technological innovations in the aviation industry. One such innovation was the Fokker F.VII Trimotor. It operated both as a passenger and cargo airport and was popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
The Fokker F.VII aircraft was also a huge achievement of Fokker in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a popular aircraft at the time and flew long-distance including transatlantic routes. Compared to its competitors at the time, the Fokker F.VII was more comfortable to travel in.
Another achievement of Fokker was surviving the death of its founder. When the founder of Fokker, Anthony Fokker died in 1939, he left behind a company that had grown to be renowned and maintained its position as a world-leading aircraft manufacturing company for some years after his death.
Fokker’s Many Challenges
Despite Fokker’s early achievements, the aircraft manufacturer had an equal number of challenges.
During World War II, Fokker faced severe challenges. Its factories in the Netherlands were taken over by the Germans, and production was forcibly redirected to serve German military needs. Some facilities were damaged by bombings during the war.
After the war, Fokker struggled to recover from these setbacks. However, the company managed to rebuild and adapt to the changing aviation landscape. In the 1950s and 1960s, Fokker found success with aircraft like the F27 Friendship and F28 Fellowship.
Fokker Turns a Corner
Fokker’s true renaissance came in the 1980s and early 1990s with the introduction of three new aircraft that represented a significant comeback attempt for the company:
1.) The Fokker 50, a turboprop airliner that was an updated version of the F27 Friendship. Fokker sold a total of 213 Fokker 50 aircraft.
2.) The Fokker 100, a medium-sized jet airliner launched in 1988. It became quite popular with major airlines on regional routes, selling a total of 278 aircraft. (Seen below in a great video by Matt’s Aviation Channel.)
The Fokker 70, a shorter version of the Fokker 100, introduced in 1993. It was not nearly as successful as the Fokker 100, only selling 47.
For a time, it seemed that Fokker had successfully modernized its product line and secured its place in the evolving aviation industry.
However, despite this renaissance, Fokker faced mounting challenges. The development costs for the new aircraft were substantial, and the company struggled as the Fokker 100 sales trailed off. Additionally, the Fokker 70 sales never materialized, limited by the high cost of operation just as scope clauses in the United States limited operations. Additionally, Fokker faced intense competition from other aircraft manufacturers, especially larger companies with greater resources.
The company also went through multiple changes in ownership and restructuring attempts to stay afloat. These constant changes led to instability and uncertainty in the company’s direction. This turned off potential customers.
Fokker Folds
Ultimately, despite the success of its new aircraft models, Fokker’s financial struggles proved insurmountable. The combination of high development costs, tough competition, and changes in the aviation market led to the company’s bankruptcy in 1996.
While Fokker’s journey ended in 1996, the legacy of its later aircraft continues. The Fokker 50, 70, and 100 remained in service with various airlines for many years after the company’s demise, a testament to the quality and durability of Fokker’s final generation of aircraft.
Fokker’s assets were sold off. These assets included manufacturing facilities, aircraft designs, and intellectual property.
Fokker lives on today…sorta
Fokker’s demise had a significant negative impact on the Dutch aerospace industry. Its demise resulted in job losses for former employees and also caused a shift in the company’s aviation industry.
To this day, some Fokker aircraft are still in operation, primarily on niche routes in developing regions around the world.