Beginning in 1951, flights to South America stopped at Miami, but Braniff did not carry domestic passengers between Dallas and Houston and Miami.[3]. Braniff charged only a 10-percent premium over standard first-class fare to fly the Concorde and later removed the surcharge. [9], On January 10, 1954, Braniff's founder Thomas Elmer Braniff died when a Grumman flying boat owned by United Gas crash-landed on the shore of Wallace Lake, 15 miles outside of Shreveport, Louisiana, due to icing. In 1930, the company was bought by the Aviation Corporation (AVCO) which was the predecessor of American Airlines.[4]. [32], On January 7, 1981, the Board of Directors elected John J. Casey as president, chief executive officer and chairman of Braniff Airways, Inc. and Braniff International Corporation as a replacement to the outgoing and retiring Harding Lawrence. The flight from Oklahoma City SW 29th Street Airport to Tulsa McIntire Airport was uneventful. The new "jelly bean" fleet consisted of such bold colors as beige, ochre, orange, turquoise, baby blue, medium blue and lemon yellow, and lavender. Hey everyone! . For the hostesses, Pucci used "space age" themes, including plastic Bolas (first edition zippered version) Space Helmets (second edition with snaps) as they were dubbed by Pucci. For the first time in airline history, fuel costs, which doubled in 1979, exceeded labor as the largest operating cost for airlines. The domestic flights often had no more than 15 passengers on average for each flight while Braniff's Boeing 727 flights were filled close to the capacity despite being 20 minutes slower than Concorde. At one time, it even operated a Concorde on a short-term lease! Welcome to the new home for Braniff Virtual Airlines. Paul, Sioux City, and Sioux Falls in the North; Des Moines, Omaha, and St. Louis in the Midwest; and Tulsa, Shreveport, and New Orleans in the South. Calder died in November 1976 as he was finalizing a third livery, termed "Flying Colors of Mexico" or "Salute To Mexico". Until 1980, Braniff was one of the fastest-growing and most-profitable airlines in the United States. An additional route was operated between Oklahoma City and Ft Worth with intermediate stops at Wewoka, Oklahoma, and Dallas Love Field and a third route operated between Oklahoma City and Tulsa with intermediates stops at Wewoka and Seminole, Oklahoma, with all beginning on July 15, 1929 (this is most likely when the first Braniff service began at Dallas Love Field). Passenger traffic increased in the 1960s and 1970s, but the airline remained a small one that . Braniff Airways, Inc., doing business as Braniff International Airways, was an American airline that operated from 1928 until 1982. . However, at the same time, the company retired four to six older jets each year. However, unlike Singapore Airline's Concorde, none of the Braniff Interchange Concordes were impressed with Braniff livery. For the first time in history beginning in 1979, the cost of fuel exceeded the cost of labor, which had been the airline industry's largest expense. Pan American responded by offering to jointly lease the routes with Air Florida for three years at a price of US$30 million. This, ironically, was based on the 1930s Braniff Lockheed Vega color schemes, which also carried colorful paint with white wings and tails. Only a few 727-200s ever saw the Jellybean applied. The results of these studies found that Concorde must be marketed as an ultra luxury travel experience. Braniff Airlines, Inc., and the carrier grew by adding service from Oklahoma City to San Angelo, Texas, with intermediate stops at Wichita Falls, Breckenridge and Abilene, Texas by the Summer of 1929 and service at Denison, Texas was added on July 5, 1929. [1] The last Braniff MAC charter associated with the Vietnam War was flown in 1975. On February 25, 1931, Braniff welcomed in the new year by adding Chicago Midway Airport to its route map. Eastern had recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and planned to use the money from the route sale to repay creditors and regain its financial footing. Go PREMIUM to remove Ads. All of the Airline's DC-2s were given to the military for wartime service and none were accepted back into the fleet at the end of the war. [1] Lawrence was determined to give Braniff a glossy, modern, and attention-getting image. N7071 crashed during pre-delivery flight at Oso, Washington, October 1959, Includes Series -027, 2 Series -048 and 1 Series -022, Original order included "Quick Change" (QC). Eastern had been trying unsuccessfully to obtain authority to fly to South America since 1938, and would operate 24 weekly flights from Miami, two from New York, and one from New Orleans to west coast South American cities that Braniff mainly served.[1]. The merger added numerous cities, including Minneapolis/St. The summer of 1931 welcomed St Louis to the Braniff system on June 15, with nonstop service offered between St Louis and both Chicago and Tulsa. The merger was effective on February 1, 1967, and Panagra's remaining piston airliners were retired. According to planespotters.net, Braniff operated a simply astonishing range of passenger aircraft in that time. Bnf. Braniff flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport that morning were suddenly grounded, and passengers were forced to disembark, being told that Braniff was no longer flying. These large carriers had what Braniff termed "City Power" which was the ability to use its massive assets to dominate a particular destination. Guayaquil Lima (Lima service did not begin until June 18, 1948). Oct 21, 2018 - Braniff Airlines Fleet | Braniff International Airways B727-200 | Airlines of the Past | Pinte . However, Putnam was successful in obtaining an extension of time from Braniff's principal creditors until October 1982. Braniff's Boeing 747 aircraft continued to carry the "Braniff International" titles in the 1969 Harper and George International Font. The airline began marketing itself simply as Braniff International, or BI. The new Ultrasuede uniforms and Ultra Space leather aircraft interiors were dubbed the Ultra Look by Halston, who had used the term to describe his elegant fashions. [3], The new Braniff venture was profitable within a month of service inauguration but with the weakening economic conditions the company found itself in need of a merger partner. In 1965 Braniff's fleet was about half jet, comprising 707s, 720s and British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven jetliners. We would like to thank you for visiting our website. 1967. However, in early 2022, the private Trust that originally owned Braniff's intellectual property since 1983, reacquired these assets along with the original Braniff company and corresponding assets that it had previously owned. Braniff's Hostess College, built in 1968 and designed by Pierce, Lacey and Associates, was a training school where the airline would "turn the girl next door into a truly cosmopolitan lady." The training facility was a five-story building, dating back to 1968, and encompasses 59,925 square feet on nearly 1 acre at 2801 Wycliff Ave., next . New Mexico architect Alexander Girard, Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci, and shoe designer Beth Levine were hired, and with this new talent Braniff began the "End of the Plain Plane" campaign.[1]. Braniff's advertising touted the new carrier as The World's Fastest Airline. In 1955 Braniff underwent a major expansion of routes and upgrade of equipment. AIRLINE. These clear plastic bubbles, which resembled Captain Video helmets and which Braniff termed "RainDome", were to be worn between the terminal and the plane to prevent bouffant hairstyles from being disturbed by outside elements. Mr. Thayer had been extremely vocal about Braniff's critical position if deregulation were to take affect. All Nippon Airways (ANA) Nihon/NAMC YS-11 "JA8707" is here captured at Osaka Aiport on a sunny day in the spring of 1988. After the End of the Plain Plane Campaign, it became one of the most celebrated marketing efforts Madison Avenue had ever produced, blending style and arrogance. [29] Also in 1979, Braniff began operating nonstop flights between Honolulu and Guam and Los Angeles as well as one stop service between Honolulu and Hong Kong via Guam in addition to its long running nonstop service between Honolulu and Dallas/Fort Worth. The new fleet carried such colors as beige, ochre, orange, turquoise, baby blue, medium blue, lemon yellow, and lavender/periwinkle blue. Panagra operated early model Douglas DC-8s, which were a new addition to the Braniff fleet; a Panagra order for five long-range DC-8-62s was taken up by Braniff, and deliveries began in late 1967, replacing the older Series 30 Panagra DC-8s. In early 2015, the private Irrevocable Trust that owned and administered Braniff's intellectual property and certain other company assets since 1983, released the assets to a private entity associated with the Trust, which founded a series of new Braniff companies that were incorporated in the State of Oklahoma, for historical purposes and for administration of the Braniff trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property. Braniff International Airways (1928) (Dallas Love Field) is set to see a fourth attempted resurrection, this time through Braniff International (St. Louis Lambert International), a subsidiary of Braniff Holdings, Inc.According to its launch plans, the rejuvenated Braniff is looking to start operations early next year. In over five decades of existence, the airline operated a large variety of aircraft. Wore N467GB with Air California from delivery in October 1968, then with American Airlines, Braniff as seen here (mid-late 1989. This was the same for Western, National and Continental.[1]. Under Lawrence, bold swathes of color covered the airline's fleet with a palette chosen by Girard-first soft pastels, then bright primaries. [1], On December 28, 1934, Braniff purchased Dallas-based Long and Harman Air Lines, that operated passenger and mail routes from Amarillo to Brownsville and Galveston. BN / BNF. More information. Green/Light Green. Other U.S. airlines that flew the 747 to Hawaii included Northwest Orient and Braniff. These posters are therefore not placed in the public domain but have instead undergone copyright restoration in the United States. At Washington Dulles, the cockpit and cabin crews were replaced by ones from Air France and British Airways for the continued flight to Europe, and the temporary Braniff registration stickers were removed. Package express and air freight service was added to the list of Braniff services on September 1, 1929, and included Dallas Love Field.[3]. With the agreement signed for a 23rd year as the Dallas Cowboys airline Braniff took the opportunity to celebrate by painting one of its 727-227 Advanceds in a special scheme. Paint kit for the AI Aardvark 727-200. [5] Paul Braniff, travelled to Washington, D.C. to petition for a Chicago-Dallas airmail route. Boeing B737-800 BCF (Airwork Holdings. Pan American Chairman, and former Braniff International President, Ed Acker had previously served as Chairman of Air Florida before taking the leadership position at Pan American. Mr. Braniff had applied to the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) for authority to merge Aerovias Braniff with Braniff Airways, Inc. Eventually, the Driskill was sold to the Lincoln Hotel Corporation in 1985. 192830, after company was sold to Universal Aviation of St. Louis, Missouri, in April 1929. Airline Flights. An ex-Braniff and Alaska Airlines 727, which joined the Aces fleet in 1992. Eastern never made a profit with their South American routes, due to the region's delicate financial situation at the time. Braniff assisted in World War II, grew their passenger business, bought out other airline companies, grew their fleet, and expanded their routes across North, Central, and South America. Code. He favored a small "BI" logo and small titles. This included the updated 1966 Supersonic Derby Collection; 1968 Pucci Classic Collection; 1971 747 Braniff Place Pant Dress Collection; 1972 727 Braniff Place Pant Dress Collection; 1973 Pucci Blue Pilot Uniform; 1974 Pucci The Classic Collection and finally in 1975 the Flying Colors Collection, which only include impressive white coveralls with red and blue Flying Colors logo for maintenance personnel.[1]. Irridescent colors of Chocolate Brown, Perseus Green, Mercury Blue and Terra Cotta along with two metallic colors were matched with striking racing stripes called Power Paint Stripes, which served to enhance the elegant scheme with a sleek racy feel. Braniff had saved the historic Driskill from demolition in 1973 and purchased the entity outright in February 1975. Braniff International maintained that it was hemorrhaging cash and that it could not continue to operate the money losing South American system. . In addition to the Hawaii and Gatwick services, routes were also opened up to Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Paris from Dallas. Braniff is one of only two heritage airlines that continues to control its own intellectual property and other assets with Pan Am the other. Braniff ceased operations on May 1213, 1982, and Eastern took over the routes earlier than the planned June 1, 1982, commencement of service date. Only 30 Boeing 727-200s are left, and they are being repainted and . [7], John Casey expanded Braniff's capacity during the summer of 1981 and traffic increased with a promise of the beginnings of a turnaround. United States. Fifteen colors were used during the 1960s (Harper & George modified Girard's original seven colors in 1967), in combination with 57 variations of Herman Miller fabrics. VIP Classic Wings 98: Volume 2 was released later the same year as a special edition mail-order only product. Long-range DC-8-62s replaced the earlier DC-8-30s and DC-8-50s acquired with Braniff's 1967 takeover of Pan American Grace Airways (Panagra), and one appeared in a modern, Alexander Calder-designed "Flying Colors of South America" paint scheme. Braniff Airways, Inc., operated as Braniff International Airways from 1948 until 1965, and then Braniff International from 1965 until air operations ceased, was an airline in the United States that once flew air carrier operations from 1928 until 1982 and continues today as a retailer, hotelier, travel service and branding and licensing company, administering the former airline's employee pass program and other airline administrative duties. Considering the airline wasn't filling its existing 707s the advent of a massive fleet of new much larger 747s was ominous. Eastern initially offered to lease the routes for US$30 million for six years but the CAB denied the request stating that it was too long. The wings iced up on approach to landing in Shreveport, and the plane lost altitude. Civil Aviation. Mr. Resorts for rent: Once mainly for top executives, some private conference and training centers with high amenities now welcome outside business as their owners seek ways to break even. Braniff International Airways (1928 - 1982), Braniff (1983 - 1989) For more details about an aircraft category, click on the corresponding number in the table below. Both operated until January 1974. Then, just as similar US airlines were divesting the giant aircraft, Braniff decided to vastly expand its 747 fleet - by 1980, Braniff was operating nine of them. [1] The operating loss was $39 million in 1979, then $120M in 1980 and $107M in 1981. The Boeing 727 became the backbone of the Braniff fleet. Later uniforms and accessories were composed of interchangeable parts, which could be removed and added as needed. [1], Troy Post hired Harding Lawrence, executive vice president of Continental Airlines, who was responsible for a 500 percent increase in sales at the Los Angeles-based carrier during his tenure, as the new president of Braniff International. Thomas Elmer Braniff created a Mexico-based airline, Aerovias Braniff, in 1943. The fleet of Braniff International. Texas Class created a one-fare, one-service airline domestically and removed First Class from all Braniff aircraft. Due to the American noise regulations, Concorde was limited to Mach 0.95 yet flew at slightly above Mach 1.[1]. By the mid-1950s, it was the 10th largest airline in the country. Art to complement the color schemes was flown in from Mexico, Latin America, and South America. [1], The Braniff 747 livery of bright orange led to the aircraft being nicknamed "The Great Pumpkin". It operated a fleet of Boeing 727-200s and McDonnell Douglas DC-10s until 2001 when it filed for bankruptcy. Braniff. Airline Founded. This key premise was highly successful. However, the Mexican government suspended Aerovias Braniff's operating permits in October 1946, under pressure from Pan American Airways, Inc., and merger of the two carriers was not approved by the CAB. Commercial Aircraft. However, the helmets were still approved for use through 1967. [13], Braniff opened the "Terminal of the Future" at Dallas Love Field in late December 1968 and the Jetrail Car Park people mover system in April 1970. In December 1972, American Modern Master Alexander Calder was commissioned by Braniff to paint an aircraft. However, the name and company was retained by the brothers until 1932.[3]. Competition throughout the Braniff system, and increased service at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport by American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, both of which operated hubs at DFW, caused further erosion in revenue.[1]. Calder was introduced to Harding Lawrence by veteran advertising executive George Stanley Gordon, who would eventually take over Braniff's advertising account. All three carriers entered into the agreement for the purpose of promotion of Concorde in the United States and around the world. Scheduling conflicts between the executives caused the new venture to be disbanded. Braniff was surrounded on all sides at Dallas/Ft. This decal provides the final paint scheme worn by KLM's fleet of Boeing 737-400s. From Boston and Dallas/Fort Worth, new transatlantic Boeing 747 service to Europe was operated to Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Paris. Under the agreement Braniff International would retain service to Venezuela and American Airlines would serve Braniff's Brazilian services as required by a bilateral treaty between the United States and Brazil. In 1985, the company was sold to a private individual in Texas, who operated the entity as Braniff Education Systems, Inc., d/b/a as IATA or International Aviation and Travel Academy, which provided initial pilot training, airline simulator training, maintenance technician training and airline ticket and travel agent training. The first jets were four Boeing 707-227s; a fifth crashed on a test flight when still owned by Boeing. Repaint by Paul Craig. In 1984 a new Braniff, Incorporated, launched its first flight with a fleet of thirty planes under the direction of president William Slattery, formerly chief of European operations for Trans World Airlines. [8] The route was then extended in February 1949 to La Paz and in March 1949, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mid-Continent Airlines began as Tri-State Airlines, Inc. in 1928, first as a flying school, then adding charter . As of March 2021, the BRANIFF fleet consists of the following aircraft: Aircraft In fleet Orders Passengers Notes; F C Y Total . Beard gathered Braniff employees together at the Braniff hangar at Dallas Love Field on January 18, 1954, to announce that the airline would move forward and assured the public that the airline would continue. Service was started with a Boeing 727-100 jetliner, number 475, which was nicknamed "Ju-Ju," and a Douglas DC-6B propliner. The airline (Aerolineas Centrales de Colombia) ceased operations in 2003. al433 by George Hamlin . In 1975 it was showcased at the Paris Air Show in Paris, France. In April 1964, Braniff made deposits on two Boeing 2707 Supersonic Transports, $100,000 per aircraft. From two competing charter services formed in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1932, Alaska Airlines has grown into the fifth-largest airline in the United States. Braniff Realty, Inc., continued to operate the Airline's airport facilities including Braniff's Terminal of the Future at Love Field, until it was sold to American Airlines in 1996. Braniff was allowed to operate a charter service in Mexico for a brief period in 1947 but that was also discontinued and service was not commenced again until 1960[7]. The trijet was the key aircraft in the 1971 Fleet Standardization Plan that called for three aircraft types: the Boeing 727 primarily operated on domestic services, the Boeing 747 for Hawaii, and the Douglas DC-8 for South America. Former Braniff president Russel Thayer was elected as vice chairman of the board, William Huskins as executive vice president, Neal J. Robinson as executive vice president of marketing, and Edson "Ted" Beckwith as executive vice president of finance. In the program's first month in operation, December 1981, Braniff's revenues dropped from slightly over US$100 million per month to US$80 million. However, the driving force behind Braniff's problems were the unprecedented rise in fuel costs, which topped 104-percent increase during 1980 and the erosion the company experienced as large carriers such as United, Delta and American along with new low-cost startups began taking Braniffs key routes that were protected prior to deregulation. 1k followers. Interestingly, lavender was discontinued as it is a bad . Braniff Airways Fleet of B747 (History) - Aviation website for aircraft and airline information (flight, photo, travel, fleet listing, production list of Airbus Boeing Douglas Embraer Dash, ATR, Sukhoi, Saab. It was before American Airlines bought up the gems of Braniff's 727 fleet at a half-price discount, and before Braniff stock plummeted from 19 to 4. This was the fear that Braniff and other small trunk carriers, such as National Airlines, Western Airlines and Continental Airlines had expressed concern about prior to deregulation. The expansion was successful operationally and financially. Aviation history was made at Mach .95 on Friday January 12, 1979 as two Concordes, belonging to Air France and British Airways, flew in from the east and lined up to land on parallel runways at Dallas DFW. For the footwear, Beth Levine created plastic boots and designed two-tone calfskin boots and shoes. Had Braniff's fuel increased in 1977 by 94-percent the company would have reported a loss of nearly US$100 million, which would have been catastrophic for any airline.[2]. FROM OKLAHOMA ACORN TO TEXAS OAK THE STORY OF BRANIFF AIRWAYS by Richard Benjamin Cass Two brothers, a dreamer and a pragmatist, joined forces to create one of the world's leading airlines, Braniff Airways. In the late 1970s it expanded to Asia and Europe. The ones who inspired me t. The key advertising slogan was "When you got it flaunt it. 15 Dec 1983. Braniff issued select promotional materials and postcards that presented a Concorde with orange cheat line that began at the tip of nose and continued to the end of tail, white BI logo (designed by Alexander Girard as part of "End of the Plain Plane" campaign in 1965) against orange vertical stabilizer, and 1978 Braniff Ultra Font for "Braniff" below the cheat line. Subsidiaries / Group Airlines. It began operating under the name Alaska Airlines in 1944 and was first known as a cargo carrier. . It also operated two Grumman SA-16/ HU-16 Albatross . Braniff Airways purchased two six-passenger 450 horsepower Lockheed L-5 Vega single-engine aircraft capable of cruising at speeds of 150 miles-per-hour. However, deregulation of the airline industry was introduced in October 1978, and Braniff as well as many of the United States' major air carriers were caught in a peculiar predicament as a result of the unprecedented change in how airline business was conducted. [33], On May 11, 1982, Howard Putnam left a courtroom at the Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York City after failing to gain a court injunction to stop a threatened pilot strike (Braniff's pilot union maintains that they were not threatening a strike at this time). The campaign was not successful, pushing Braniff's bread-and-butter business travelers over to traditional airlines with First Class on all flights. Paul R. Braniff died in June 1954 from complications from pneumonia and from throat cancer. Braniff was the first airline authorized by the CAB to operate JATO or Jet Assisted Take-Off aircraft (DC-4) at La Paz. International Airlines. However, the return flight was delayed several hours for thunderstorms in the area. It caught fire and all 12 lives aboard were lost."[1]. This doubled the 727 utilization rate and allowed Braniff to open the new cargo business, dubbed AirGo. Later in 1975, he debuted "Flying Colors of the United States" to commemorate the Bicentennial of the United States. Southwest Airlines and Braniff International jointly announce that the two companies have settled all of their long-standing differences and have signed agreements under which Braniff will lease a 727-200 aircraft to Southwest for a period of two years (effective March 1979), and also provide training and maintenance services in connection therewith. She was instrumental in calming the fears of Braniff's creditors, which became concerned especially after the losses incurred in 1953, quickly followed by the loss of Mr. Braniff. The 727s had been selected before Lawrence's arrival, but no orders had been placed. Braniff Express. Its designs reflected the bright colors and simple designs of South America and Latin America, and was used mainly on South American flights. Braniff Airways, Inc., operated as Braniff International Airways from 1948 until 1965, and then Braniff International from 1965 until air operations ceased, was an airline in the United States that once flew air carrier operations from 1928 until 1982 and continues today as a retailer, hotelier, travel service and branding and licensing company, administering the former airline's employee pass . At that time, the airline changed its trade name to Braniff International Airways (the official corporate name remained Braniff Airways, Incorporated) and flights to South America via Cuba and Panama began on June 4, 1948, with a routing of Chicago Kansas City Dallas Houston Havana Balboa, C.Z. This plane was the first jet aircraft of the. It embraced the bold colors of the 1960s and 1970s with their trendy "Flying Colors" livery. Braniff's maintenance activities at Dallas Love Field continued to serve its non-Braniff customers and oversaw the maintenance of Braniff's grounded fleet at DFW Airport and Love Field. . Free shipping for many products! Tom Braniff, president of Braniff Airways, ordered the company's first DC-3s on August 29, 1939. The domestic air carrier was originally headquartered at Dallas Love Field in Dallas, Texas, and later Orlando, Florida. Service was added between Oklahoma City and Amarillo during the Summer of 1929. Another iconic type seen in Braniff's fleet was the Boeing 747, of which the airline operated three variants. Braniff's fuel bill increased from $200 million in 1978 to more than $400 million in 1979, with 25 percent of this increase a result of increased flying but 75 percent was solely due to the rise in fuel costs around the globe.[1]. Negotiations had been underway with Pan American World Airways since early 1982, but the Civil Aeronautics Board would not approve sale to Pan Am because it felt that Pan Am would have a monopoly over other American carriers in the region. Argentine President Juan Pern and his famed wife Evita Pern participated in the festivities at the Palacio Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires. Additional Lockheed Vegas were added to the fleet during 1931 and 1932. Implementation of this program turned the Concorde program into a profitable as well as prestigious venture.[1][23]. The Douglas DC-8-62 fleet was flown from Miami to Dallas Love Field and stored until new owners could be found.[1].