History:

The Fokker 70 project was launched in 1992 without a launch customer. It had a lot of commonality with the Fokker 100, the airframe, wing and systems being almost identical but the fuselage being 4.62 m (15 ft 1¾ in) shorter. The shortened fuselage led to a reduction in cargo space, the removal of two plugs fore and aft of the wing, deletion of the cargo door from the forward fuselage, and one of the overwing exits, there being one galley in lieu of two. The fuselage was manufactured in five sections and was designed to provide a crack-free life of 45,000 flight hours, and an economic repair life of 90,000 flight cycles.

The main structures were fabricated from aluminium alloy and composite materials were used in floors, cowling flaps and fairings. Risk sharing partners in production included DASA, which built the fuselage, and Shorts which built the wing. Three variants were initially offered, the standard F-70, the F-70A which was built for United States regional operators, which had an additional main deck cargo hold and seating capacity limited to 70; and a VIP/shuttle model which had an option of belly tanks for extended range. It was operated by a flight crew of two and two cabin attendants.

The prototype Fokker 70 was a conversion of the second prototype Fokker 100 PK-MKC (c/n 11243), conversion being carried out at Schipol in Amsterdam from October 1992. It was introduced to the regional jet market at the 1993 Paris Air Show and was aimed at replacing the Fokker F-28 and Douglas DC-9. Early deliveries were to Sempati and Pelita Air Services, both Indonesian operators.

The prototype flew for the first time at Woensdrecht on 2 April 1993 and received certification from the Dutch RLD and the American FAA on 14 October 1994. Power was supplied by the Rolls Royce Tay, a re-fanned high by-pass engine derived from the Rolls Royce Spey.

In the 1990s the Qantas Group was close to ordering the Fokker 70, releasing an artist’s depiction of an aircraft over Sydney Harbour in Qantas subsidiary Southern Australia markings. However, at that time Fokker was in financial difficulties, despite many satisfied customers who wanted the Model 70 and Model 100, and in 1996 the production line for these aircraft was closed down. The last Fokker 70 was delivered to Vietnam Airlines. By late 1995 orders for the Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 stood at 318 firm orders with options on another 130, of which 44 were firm and 19 were options for the Fokker 70. In the event only 48 Fokker 70s were built.

Flight West Airline’s of Queensland was also interested in the Fokker 70 as it better met the airlines needs, being slightly smaller than the Fokker 100 and being suitable for the airstrips the airline operated to but having had to settle for Fokker 100s until used Fokker 70s started to come on to the market. The field performance of the Fokker 70 allowed it to operate from unsophisticated airfields with a minimum of infrastructure and it was able to operate in areas such as New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

A couple of Fokker 70s have visited Australia over the years, one being PK-PFE of Pelita Air of Indonesia which made a sales tour on behalf of Fokker during October 1995.

In the 21st century Australian operators have been obtaining second-hand Fokker 100s and in mid 2011 Alliance Airlines of Brisbane, QLD opened a maintenance facility for Fokker 70s and Fokker 100s in Adelaide, SA, this facility also supporting the Company’s Fokker 50s. At that stage the company had 18 Fokker 100s in service and had obtained two Fokker 70LRs to operate mine contract charter work, these latter two being able to seat 75.

First Fokker 70 registered became VH-QQX (c/n 11571 – ex 9H-AFS, HA-LMF, PH-RVE, [I-REJB], PH-EZE), followed by VH-QQY (c/n 11575 – ex 9H-AFZ, HA-LME, PH-WXB, I-REJU, PH-EZB), both built for Avianova in Italy but which operated in Hungary with Malev and later went to an operator in Malta. A further example became VH-QQR (c/n 11564 ex YR-KMA, HA-LMA, PH-EZR) on 27 November 2012 to Alliance Airlines. Other examples obtained became VH-QQV (c/n 11565 – ex YR-KMP); VH-QQW (c/n 11569 – ex YR-KMC); VH-JFB (c/n 11521 – ex HP-1731PST); and VH-JFE (c/n 11545 – ex HP-1732PST). By early 2017 11 examples of the Fokker 70 appeared on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register.

The type has also entered service with Air Niugini, the first becoming P2-ANU (c/n 11538 – ex PH-KZO), followed by P2-ANT (c/n 11577) entering service in early 2016, and P2-ANV (c/n 11574) in late 2016. A further example arrived in January 2017 when it became P2-ANY (c/n 11551).