First flight of Fokker 50

The Fokker 50 was a Dutch twin-engine turboprop airliner, developed from the highly successful Fokker F27 Friendship, with new engines, a modernized cockpit and a redesigned cabin. It carried about fifty passengers and was designed for short regional routes. It entered airline service in the late 1980s, and was bought by airlines in Europe, Africa, Asia and elsewhere, as well as by military operators. Fokker, which was in financial difficulty, went bankrupt in the 1990s, and production of the Fokker 50 ended, though a number of the aircraft remain in service, particularly for cargo and in remote areas. It is remembered as a reliable and economical regional aircraft.

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