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GKN Fokker marked its centenary on Sunday (21st July). Exactly 100 years ago, aviation pioneer Anthony Fokker registered the 'Nederlandsche Vliegtuigenfabriek' which led to the formation of the world famous Fokker business.

A Dutch industry-wide celebration event took place on 14 March in Amsterdam, to jointly recognise the centenaries of GKN Fokker, Royal NLR and KLM. In September, GKN Fokker will host an employee celebration in the Netherlands.

GKN Fokker’s outstanding people and technologies were fully integrated into GKN Aerospace in 2015.

The result is a stronger GKN Aerospace with market leadership positions in aerostructures, engine systems and special technologies, increased exposure to key growth platforms, a comprehensive global manufacturing footprint of 50 sites in 15 countries and strong technological offerings.

Thanks to the pioneering spirit and the efforts of founder Anthony Fokker, many hundreds of millions of people worldwide have been brought together.

His innovative heritage still characterises today’s GKN Fokker business. Many advanced aircraft have GKN Fokker innovations on board, and over 400 Fokker aircraft are operational worldwide. By pursuing innovations in technology, GKN Fokker supports a sustainable aerospace future in a smart and economically viable manner.

Over the past 100 years, GKN Fokker has served as an ambassador and figurehead for the Netherlands in the global aerospace community. Together with its 3,300 Dutch employees across seven Dutch sites, the business continues to be an industrial champion and major contributor to the economy of the Netherlands.

John Pritchard, CEO of GKN Aerospace ASEA said: “100 years on, we have achieved the dream of our founder, with our future firmly built on the foundation of a century of innovation. The entrepreneurship of Anthony Fokker has evolved into the world-class GKN Aerospace business. We are proud to be part of the successful Netherlands aviation industry, together with KLM, NLR and many other businesses. We are perfectly positioned to shape a sustainable aerospace future together.”

Anthony Fokker’s first Dutch flight was carried out on 31 August 1911 around the St BAVO church in Haarlem.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 25th July 2019 | Issue #520