Rekkof Aircraft
Encyclopedia
Rekkof Aircraft is a Dutch company dedicated to restarting the production of upgraded versions of the Fokker F70 and Fokker F100
regional jet
s as production of those stopped when Fokker
was declared bankrupt in 1996. They first announced their plans in late 2003 and intended to first re-launch the Fokker F70NG (NG standing for Next Generation) and if enough orders were placed later also the Fokker F100NG. Notable changes on the NG models would have been winglets and different engines. A possible third unnamed stretched version of the aircraft had also been mentioned.
Rekkof believes there is a sufficient market for the aircraft and that the design can still compete with similar modern regional airliners from manufacturers as Embraer
and Bombardier Aerospace
. However, while the announcement of a launch customer and the production re-start have been called "imminent" by Rekkof a number of times between early 2004 and mid-2005, none of Rekkof's plans have materialised to date. KLM, a current user of Fokker aircraft and suggested as a launch customer, has denied that they are in negotiations with Rekkof and has Embraer
regional jets on order to replace their Fokker fleet.
Though Rekkof has stated that it prefers to assemble the aircraft in the Netherlands, with Lelystad Airport
and Enschede Airport Twente
mentioned as possible assembly locations, Bangalore
in India
had also been mentioned as a possible location with Indian engineering firm Cades Digitech having stated they were planning to invest 300 million US dollars in an assembly plant. Also, the government of the Brazilian
state of Goiás
announced a Rekkof plant for aircraft parts will be built in the city of Anápolis
(some 35 mi
/55 km
from state capital Goiânia
).
In released promotional render, a new design called the Fokker F100NXT is shown, with the most notable difference being a redesigned wing, lacking the winglets proposed for the Fokker F100NG. In mid-2008 a new website was launched, and the new design was renamed to XF100.
In March 2010 it was announced that the Dutch government granted the company a 20 million Euro loan to help develop the aircraft.
Rekkof Aircraft is a part of Panta Holdings BV, which also owned Denim Air
and VLM Airlines
, both operating Fokker F50 aircraft. Denim Air has stopped flying however, while VLM Airlines has been sold to Air France-KLM
and has become a part of their daughter Cityjet
.
Fokker F100
The Fokker 100 is a medium size twin-turbofan airliner from the Fokker company. Low operational costs and almost no competition in the 100-seat short-range class made it a best seller when it was introduced in the late 1980s, but decayed due to increasing competition. Production ended in 1997 with...
regional jet
Regional jet
A Regional jet , is a class of short to medium-range turbofan powered airliners.-History:The term "Regional jet" describes a range of short to medium-haul turbofan powered aircraft, whose use throughout the world expanded after the advent of Airline Deregulation in the United States in...
s as production of those stopped when Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
was declared bankrupt in 1996. They first announced their plans in late 2003 and intended to first re-launch the Fokker F70NG (NG standing for Next Generation) and if enough orders were placed later also the Fokker F100NG. Notable changes on the NG models would have been winglets and different engines. A possible third unnamed stretched version of the aircraft had also been mentioned.
Rekkof believes there is a sufficient market for the aircraft and that the design can still compete with similar modern regional airliners from manufacturers as Embraer
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
and Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
. However, while the announcement of a launch customer and the production re-start have been called "imminent" by Rekkof a number of times between early 2004 and mid-2005, none of Rekkof's plans have materialised to date. KLM, a current user of Fokker aircraft and suggested as a launch customer, has denied that they are in negotiations with Rekkof and has Embraer
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
regional jets on order to replace their Fokker fleet.
Though Rekkof has stated that it prefers to assemble the aircraft in the Netherlands, with Lelystad Airport
Lelystad Airport
Lelystad Airport is an airport south southeast of Lelystad, Netherlands.It is the biggest general aviation airport in the Netherlands and is also home to a large aviation museum, the Aviodrome. The museum's former KLM Boeing 747-200 which they have on display is a prominent feature on the...
and Enschede Airport Twente
Enschede Airport Twente
Enschede Airport Twente is located north from Enschede, a municipality in the Twente region and the Overijssel province of the Netherlands. It has one runway , though one of the current taxiways has been used as a runway...
mentioned as possible assembly locations, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
had also been mentioned as a possible location with Indian engineering firm Cades Digitech having stated they were planning to invest 300 million US dollars in an assembly plant. Also, the government of the Brazilian
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
state of Goiás
Goiás
Goiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás comes from the name of an indigenous community...
announced a Rekkof plant for aircraft parts will be built in the city of Anápolis
Anápolis
Anápolis is the third largest city in the State of Goiás in Brazil. It lies in the center of a rich agricultural region and has become a leader in food processing and pharmaceutical plants.-Location and population:...
(some 35 mi
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
/55 km
Kilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
from state capital Goiânia
Goiânia
-Climate:The city has a tropical wet and dry climate with an average temperature of . There's a wet season, from October to April, and a dry one, from May to September. Annual rainfall is around 1,520 mm....
).
In released promotional render, a new design called the Fokker F100NXT is shown, with the most notable difference being a redesigned wing, lacking the winglets proposed for the Fokker F100NG. In mid-2008 a new website was launched, and the new design was renamed to XF100.
In March 2010 it was announced that the Dutch government granted the company a 20 million Euro loan to help develop the aircraft.
Rekkof Aircraft is a part of Panta Holdings BV, which also owned Denim Air
Denim Air
Denim Air B.V. is a charter airline based in Mijdrecht, the Netherlands. It provides ACMI wet lease services to other airlines. Its main base is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.It is wholly owned by Panta Holdings and had 242 employees ....
and VLM Airlines
VLM Airlines
VLM Airlines is a Belgian airline whose head office is in Airport Building B50 at Antwerp International Airport in Deurne, Antwerp...
, both operating Fokker F50 aircraft. Denim Air has stopped flying however, while VLM Airlines has been sold to Air France-KLM
Air France-KLM
Air France-KLM is a European airline holding company incorporated under French law with its headquarters at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Tremblay-en-France, Paris...
and has become a part of their daughter Cityjet
Cityjet
CityJet Limited is an Irish regional airline headquartered in the Swords Business Campus in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It operates at London City Airport, and flies franchise services on behalf of its parent company Air France from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Since the take over of VLM...
.