Fokker 70 Aircraft of KLM CityHopper Flies on Bio-Fuel on August 31, 2011 

On this day, 31 August, exactly one hundred years ago, Anthony Fokker, then aged 21, flew his Spider aircraft around the St Bavo Church in the Dutch city of Haarlem. He won instant fame throughout the Netherlands. This marked the beginning of a highly successful career as an aircraft manufacturer. In the 1920s, Fokker was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, with factories in the Netherlands and the United States. There are still more than 600 Fokkers flying today. The name Fokker (now Fokker Technologies) lives on as a maintenance specialist, systems supplier, and component manufacturer for the airline industry. 

On precisely this day 100 years ago Anthony Fokker took to the air in his Spider. A number of events have been organised to mark the occasion. One of them is a flypast over Haarlem of a number of historical Fokker aircraft. Dutch international aviation history is being made once again, just as it was 100 years ago. The pioneering steps being taken by Fokker Technologies and KLM today mean we are able, for the first time ever, to send a Fokker aircraft run on biofuel (an F70 from KLM cityhopper) into the air.

KLM is hereby highlighting that biofuel is both a reality and a clean alternative to traditional kerosene. KLM has been making the case for the development of sustainable fuels ever since 2007. AIR FRANCE KLM also leads the industry in efficient fuel use. For six consecutive years, AIR FRANCE KLM has been sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. 

A total of 48 F70s have been built, 26 of which are operated by KLM cityhopper. This makes KLM cityhopper the largest Fokker operator in the world.

Fokker Services press release, Photo: M. van Leeuwen www.zap16.com