. Girard designed an extensive line of furniture for Braniff's ticket offices and customer lounges. [6][7], During the war, Braniff remanded all of its Douglas DC-2 fleet and a substantial number of its new 21-passenger Douglas DC-3 fleet to the United States Army Air Force. Braniff's fuel costs rose from nearly US$200 million to US$400 million during 1979 and in spite of this huge increase in costs, the company still managed to implement service to multiple domestic destinations and expand across the Atlantic and Pacific and endure the airline coupon sales gimmicks used by passengers during the fourth quarter of 1979, which caused Braniff to lose 5 percentage points of load factor during the fourth quarter, and still only report a moderate loss of US$39 million. Braniff was a leading partner in the planning of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and contributed many innovations to the airline industry during this time. The expansion was successful operationally and financially. Braniff Flying Colors is a historical page that covers the life and legacy of Braniff International. 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. These posters are therefore not placed in the public domain but have instead undergone copyright restoration in the United States. [36][37], The original airline company continues today as a retail, licensing and branding firm. 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. In 1965 Braniff's fleet was about half jet, comprising 707s, 720s and British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven jetliners. Due to the American noise regulations, Concorde was limited to Mach 0.95 yet flew at slightly above Mach 1.[1]. Dubbed, the last airline maverick, Lawrence oversaw the carrier's rise from a $100 million a year in revenue company to more than $1.4 billion a year in revenue at his retirement. Description. Nicknamed the "jellybean" fleet, the new colors included turquoise, lemon yellow and lavender. [30] Braniff's decreasing load factors combined with record-breaking fuel cost escalations, unfair and unbridled competition, unprecedented interest rates, and a national recession (the worst since the Great Depression of 1929), produced massive financial shortfalls especially in 1980, which was caused by the severe recession that was affecting travel globally. BVA shares several codeshare agreements with Virgin Australia . Braniff had two options prior to deregulation: grow into a larger carrier to possess "city power" at its key hubs or become a low cost carrier. Fifteen colors were used by Braniff for plane exteriors during the 1960s and many of the color schemes were applied to aircraft interiors, gate lounges, ticket offices and the flight crew uniforms. In early 1982, Braniff Chairman Howard Putnam decided to sell the Latin American Division. PAINTER. 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 acquisition of the Minneapolis/St. [1], Braniff had been one of the first U.S. operators of the BAC One-Eleven (and the first U.S. airline to order the twin jet), but in 1965 Lawrence ordered twelve new Boeing 727-100s and cancelled most of the remaining One-Eleven orders. [1] The last Braniff MAC charter associated with the Vietnam War was flown in 1975. The 'Parked' status corresponds to planes which have not flown for 20 days but of which we have no information that they have left the operator's fleet. The results of these studies found that Concorde must be marketed as an ultra luxury travel experience. 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. [11], When this deposit was made, the SST program was being financed by the US government. . [1], The Braniff 747 livery of bright orange led to the aircraft being nicknamed "The Great Pumpkin". [28] This international expansion was also planned to have included flights to Tokyo, as well as an "oil run" between Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Bahrain; however, these routes never commenced although service to Bahrain was approved by the US Government in 1979. FSX Braniff International Boeing 727-200. And U.S. carrier Braniff, which later . 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. ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-135 - 970x90. From two competing charter services formed in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1932, Alaska Airlines has grown into the fifth-largest airline in the United States. All three carriers entered into the agreement for the purpose of promotion of Concorde in the United States and around the world. C. RTW777 Info. . Welcome back to another video! Still today there are some ex-Braniff aircraft flying around the globe. In 1969 the Lockheed L-188 Electras were retired, making Braniff all jet. It was also called Braniff International Airways from 1948 to 1965. In October 1951 departures from Dallas became daily: three a week to Buenos Aires and four to Rio de Janeiro. 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 . . In December 1972, American Modern Master Alexander Calder was commissioned by Braniff to paint an aircraft. Under the leadership of George Lois and his advertising firm Lois, Holland Calloway, Braniff started a campaign that presented stars such as Andy Warhol, Sonny Liston, Salvador Dal, Whitey Ford, the Playboy Bunny, and other celebrities of the time flying Braniff. In over five decades of existence, the airline operated a large variety of aircraft. 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. These companies included Braniff Air Lines, Inc., Paul R. Braniff, Inc., Braniff Airways, Inc., Braniff International Hotels, Inc., and Braniff International Corporation. A sleek new paint scheme, dubbed Ultra, was designed by Braniff's industrial design firm, Harper and George along with Detroit auto company Cars and Concepts in conjunction with Halston. The entire makeover, introduced in November 1965, was referred to as the 'End of the Plain Plane' campaign. MIAMI Today in Aviation marks the 45th anniversary of the launch of Alexander Calder's Flying Colors of the United States livery by Braniff, depicted on a Boeing 727-200 from the airline, to celebrate the 4th of July. During 2017 and 2018, some of the original Braniff companies were reinstated for historical purposes and administration of Braniff's intellectual property assets including those of Mid-Continent Airlines, Pan American Grace Airways and Long and Harman Airlines, Inc. [20] Calder's contribution was a Douglas DC-8 known simply as "Flying Colors of South America." And it was long before Harding Lawrence . Mr. Aerovias Braniff operated from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to Monterrey and Mexico City. It is an add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator 98. Universal Airlines and Braniff Air Lines, Inc. Mary Wells and "The End of the Plain Plane", The Airfix model is cited and illustrated at the, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 08:43, was an airline in the United States that once flew air carrier operations from 1928 until 1982, Braniff International Airlines, Inc. in 199192, Braniff International Airways destinations, List of Braniff International Airways destinations, List of defunct airlines of the United States, "Concorde Flights Between Texas and Europe End; Big Dreams at the Start $1,447 for Flight to Paris", July 1, 1979 Braniff International route map, October 28, 1979 Braniff International system timetable & June 1, 1980 Braniff International route map, October 28, 1979 Braniff International system timetable, THEIR INSPIRATION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP WINS HONORS, May 1, 1981 Braniff International route map & 1981 Braniff International advertisement, "Daily 747s Nonstop to Bogota", "U.S. Oks Eastern's Route Sale American Airlines To Pay $349 Million". Paul R. Braniff died in June 1954 from complications from pneumonia and from throat cancer. Braniff ceased operations on May 1213, 1982, and Eastern took over the routes earlier than the planned June 1, 1982, commencement of service date. Thomas Elmer Braniff created a Mexico-based airline, Aerovias Braniff, in 1943. Lavender was dropped after a month, due to the similarity in coloration to the Witch Moth (Ascalapha odorata), a sign of bad luck in Mexican mythology. 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. This, ironically, was based on the 1930s Braniff Lockheed Vega color schemes, which also carried colorful paint with white wings and tails. Boeing 737-900(ER) Boeing 747-400 [2], In April 1926, Paul Revere Braniff incorporated Braniff Air Lines, Inc., which was a planned flight school and aircraft maintenance entity that never came to fruition. Oct 21, 2018 - Braniff Airlines Fleet | Braniff International Airways B727-200 | Airlines of the Past | Pinte . 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. Braniff entered into negotiations with Eastern Airlines to lease the routes to the Miami-based carrier for US$18 million effective June 1, 1982, for one year. Braniff International Airways was an innovative, forward-thinking, iconic American airline that started many trends in the airline industry, several of which are still being utilized today. Name. [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. Fort Worth Airlines used 56-seat NAMC YS-11 aircraft and flew to destinations in Oklahoma and Texas, but was unable to operate profitably, ceasing flights and filing for bankruptcy in 1985.[39][40]. After World War II, on May 19, 1946, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) awarded Braniff routes to the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, competing with Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra). Braniff International Airways (1928 - 1982), Braniff (1983 - 1989) For more details about an aircraft category, click on the corresponding number in the table below. The remainder of the 727s were all-Coach Class with reduced fares. Braniff Airways Cofounder and President Thomas Elmer Braniff called the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938, the Magna Carta of Aviation because it revolutionized the entire industry into a cohesive whole that gave prominence to the air carriers in the United States. Bnf. These companies included Braniff Air Lines, Inc., Paul R. Braniff, Inc., Braniff Airways, Inc., Braniff International Hotels, Inc., and Braniff International Corporation. Over the next 15 years, his expansion into new markets combined with ideas unorthodox for the airline industry led Braniff to record financial and operating performance, expanding its earnings tenfold despite typical passenger load factors around 50 percent. Howard Putnam stepped down as president of the company with the announcement of the agreement and longtime Braniff International Senior Vice President of Flight Operations Dale R. States, became president of the company until the reorganization into Dalfort Corporation was completed on December 15, 1983. Braniff International (Braniff) was a Dallas, Texas-based airline that operated (in one form or another) from 1928 until its bankruptcy and eventual closure in 1982. ), plane photos for planespotters, flightlog database, aviation news, aviation store. . "All key indicators have leveraged a favorable decision to move forward as . Douglas DC-4s and Douglas DC-6s flew to Rio; initially DC-3s flew Lima to La Paz. The Ultra Look was an integral part of Braniff's new Elegance Campaign, which was designed to herald the maturing of Braniff, as well as the look and feel of opulence throughout the airline's operation. Originally known as the Braniff Airlines Operations and Maintenance Base, the renovated Braniff Centre at Dallas Love Field will open as home to TAC Air - DAL and Flexjet. Airline Flights. This process was reversed after alighting in Washington Dulles from Europe for the domestic flights to Dallas-Fort Worth. However, unlike Singapore Airline's Concorde, none of the Braniff Interchange Concordes were impressed with Braniff livery. This add-on makes the following airliners, in a range of liveries;* BAC-111. Eventually serving New York City and Washington, D.C., the company purchased Boeing 707 and Lockheed Electra turbo-prop aircraft and by 1960 was the first all-jet airline. In addition, all of these posters have been marked as official common law trademarks of Braniff Airways, Inc., and they continue as a company trademark infinitely. Braniff International Airways - Fleet. [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. The Ultra Look was applied to all uniforms and the entire Braniff fleet (including the two Calder aircraft). During World War II, Braniff impressed half of its fleet of twin-engine airliners into military service, while the remainder of the fleet was used to transport military personnel and . Braniff International operated the following aircraft types during its existence:[42], This article is about the original Braniff. In 1975 it was showcased at the Paris Air Show in Paris, France. United States. In the fall of 1930, Tom and Paul Braniff once again founded a new airline called Braniff Airways, Inc., which was organized on November 3, 1930, and began service on November 13, 1930, between Oklahoma City and Tulsa and Oklahoma City and Wichita Falls Texas. Today this video's topic is about the 707 of Braniff International. Braniff Realty also owned several of Braniff's Boeing 727-200 Trijet airliners, which were later sold as a result of the reorganization of the company in 1983. Braniff International Hotels, Inc., also continued in operation, which primarily operated the world famous Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas. The airline began marketing itself simply as Braniff International, or BI. Two airlines were formed from the assets of Braniff: 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 connected to the private 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. The airline is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. In 1958, at the height of business, Braniff Airways built a new terminal and facilities at Dallas Love Field called the Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base . Braniff quickly expanded its route system to include Kansas City Fairfax Airport on December 5, 1930. 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. Approval from South American governments for Eastern's one-year lease of Braniff's routes would not be required according to United States officials. Aside from a few second-hand DC-8-51s and the long range DC-8-62s these colours would be seen exclusively on 727s. Texas Class created a one-fare, one-service airline domestically and removed First Class from all Braniff aircraft. The normally profitable South America system began losing money when fuel prices expanded in 1979, which made the legendary Douglas DC-8-62 four-engine long-range jets uneconomical. In February 1967 Braniff, purchased Pan American-Grace Airways (known as Panagra) from shareholders of Pan American World Airways and W.R. Grace, increasing its presence in South America. 1967. . [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. From Boston and Dallas/Fort Worth, new transatlantic Boeing 747 service to Europe was operated to Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Paris. Starting out with Lockheed Vegas and Douglas DC-2s and DC-3s, the airline carved out a niche in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, and after WW2, won a South American route award that terminated in Buenos Aires. Eventually, the Braniff brothers, Mr. Lybrand, and Mr. Westervelt bought out the interests of the other investors. Braniff International Airways Fleet Details and History. 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. With Johnson things became highly political and came to a head with the 1968 Transpacific Route Case. Emilio Pucci designed additional new uniforms for Braniff through 1975. According to planespotters.net, Braniff operated a simply astonishing range of passenger aircraft in that time. Go PREMIUM to remove Ads. All Nippon Airways (ANA) Nihon/NAMC YS-11 "JA8707" is here captured at Osaka Aiport on a sunny day in the spring of 1988. Passenger traffic increased in the 1960s and 1970s, but the airline remained a small one that . [1] The operating loss was $39 million in 1979, then $120M in 1980 and $107M in 1981. Braniff had saved the historic Driskill from demolition in 1973 and purchased the entity outright in February 1975. Paul Braniff, the sole pilot, flew the investors to their meetings, which included Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum, E. E. Westervelt, Manager of Southwest Bell Telephone, Fred Jones, Ford dealership owner, Virgil Browne of Coca Cola Company, and Walter A. Lybrand, an Oklahoma City attorney. More information. The wings iced up on approach to landing in Shreveport, and the plane lost altitude. Both operated until January 1974. It embraced the bold colors of the 1960s and 1970s with their trendy "Flying Colors" livery. 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. Concorde service began on 12 January 1979 between DallasFort Worth and Washington, D.C., with service to Paris and London on interchange flights with Air France and British Airways respectively. Braniff has provided manpower, equipment and airline and cargo services to every major war beginning with World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Paint kit for the AI Aardvark 727-200. Braniff International Airways succumbed to overexpansion during airline deregulation of the 1970s. Mr. Braniff had applied to the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) for authority to merge Aerovias Braniff with Braniff Airways, Inc. 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]. On this page I take a detailed look at new releases. In the late 1970s it expanded to Asia and Europe. Braniff International lauded the CAB's quick decision as the carrier had stated that because of its tenuous cash position that it might have to shut the routes down if an agreement was not approved. As a result, Braniff reported its first operating loss since the recession of 1970. During its 60 years Braniff flew over 420 planes consisting of 23 different types. Argentine President Juan Pern and his famed wife Evita Pern participated in the festivities at the Palacio Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires. However, the helmets were still approved for use through 1967. 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]. Only flights to South America, London and Hawaii offered full First Class services. [15][16] The popularity of "The Great Pumpkin" led to extensive publicity, and even the licensing of a scale model by the Airfix model company.[17]. Concorde service proved a loss leader but it provided excellent marketing and promotion that created continued brand awareness around the globe for Braniff. Calder died in November 1976 as he was finalizing a third livery, termed "Flying Colors of Mexico" or "Salute To Mexico". The airline was established by Continental and other regional shareholders in the former U.S. Trust Territory and started operations on May 16, 1968, as Air Micronesia, hence the nickname and callsign "Air Mike". Braniff's last piston schedule was operated with a Convair 340 aircraft in September 1967 and the last Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop service was flown in April 1969. Beginning in 1951, flights to South America stopped at Miami, but Braniff did not carry domestic passengers between Dallas and Houston and Miami.[3]. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hawaiian Airlines Royal Fleet Convair 340 Hanauma Bay Oahu HI Postcard Posted at the best online prices at eBay! The Douglas DC-8-62 fleet was flown from Miami to Dallas Love Field and stored until new owners could be found.[1]. Braniff had a fleet of 54 Douglas DC-3 (C-47) aircraft. Scheduling conflicts between the executives caused the new venture to be disbanded. About This File. 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. The original Braniff Airways was a legendary and unique airline. Mid-Continent Airlines began as Tri-State Airlines, Inc. in 1928, first as a flying school, then adding charter . It's been more than three decades since Braniff International Airways grounded its fleet of 62 brightly colored aircraft, bringing a sudden end to a Dallas icon and upending the lives of its . Braniff (1983-1990) Braniff Inc. was a US-based airline that operated flights from 1984 until 1989 and was partially formed from the assets of the original Braniff International Airways. Indeed as the Panagra pilots continued their careers with Braniff and other airlines after the merger, not one life was lost with a Panagra pilot up front! Eventually, the Driskill was sold to the Lincoln Hotel Corporation in 1985. First on the agenda was to overhaul Braniff's public image including the 1959 Red and Blue El Dorado Super Jet livery which Wells saw as "staid". For the footwear, Beth Levine created plastic boots and designed two-tone calfskin boots and shoes. Interestingly, lavender was discontinued as it is a bad . This plane, dubbed "747 Braniff Place" and "The Most Exclusive Address In The Sky", was Braniff's flagship, and it flew an unprecedented 15 hours per day with a 99 percent dispatch reliability rate over the Transpacific long route. 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]. Box 610646 2200 W. Braniff Boulevard (West Airfield Drive), Fleet was retired in 1972 but one aircraft was converted for executive charter work until 1977, Only four were delivered. Because of the war, they could not fly their produce out of the country but Braniff devised at least a small way to assist the growers. Braniff eventually ordered several variants of the 727 including the "quick change" cargo/passenger combi aircraft variant, the stretched 727-200, and later the 727-200 Advanced. Their move proved unsuccessful, paving the way for a lawsuit by Southwest and eventually forcing Braniff to settle by providing a small fleet of 727s to Southwest free of charge. Braniff Airways was the nation's eighth largest airline (then as Braniff International) at the time it ceased operations in 1982. . These large carriers had what Braniff termed "City Power" which was the ability to use its massive assets to dominate a particular destination. Airline Founded. Load factors on these routes were considerable but with the at times unfair competition Braniff faced from Asian carriers, it pushed Braniff's breakeven point even higher making the routes unsuccessful once coupled with exorbitant fuel costs across the globe. At one time, Hotels operated Braniff hotel properties throughout the United States and Latin America. Collectibles that offer this specific name are rare for that reason. The new company, owned by Mr. Braniff, had three 21 passenger Douglas DC-3s that had been allocated to the carrier from the United States War Surplus Administration in February, 1945. The expense of the new equipment and the costs associated with the new service and hubs increased Braniff's debt substantially although it was still manageable. In 1930, the company was bought by the Aviation Corporation (AVCO) which was the predecessor of American Airlines.[4]. The airline was required to move into the temporary building until its new 10-story Braniff Tower also in Exchange Park was ready for move in on Valentine's Day 1958. Braniff International Airways. The new 727s could also be outfitted in a mixed cargo/passenger combi aircraft configuration and Braniff did operate "red eye" overnight services carrying cargo in the forward section with seating for 51 passengers in the rear coach compartment. . 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. Braniff International maintained that it was hemorrhaging cash and that it could not continue to operate the money losing South American system. This plane was the first jet aircraft of the. The new fleet carried such colors as beige, ochre, orange, turquoise, baby blue, medium blue, lemon yellow, and lavender/periwinkle blue. As part of the acquisition, Acker became executive vice president and CFO of Braniff. Braniff International was a big name in US airline transportation from 1930 until its bankruptcy and shutdown in May 1982. A planned retirement of older aircraft in tandem with the addition of approximately eight to ten new jets per year was followed throughout the 1970s. [3], The fledgling airline shut down to reorganize in March 1933, with the company airborne again in less than a year. The airline ceased air carrier operations in May 1982 because of high fuel prices, credit card interest rates and extreme competition from the large trunk carriers and the new airline startups created by the Airline Deregulation Act of December 1978. Braniff's routes were primarily in the midwestern and southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Worth, Kansas City, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta and Miami, by the larger carriers, which were poised to immediately begin invading Braniff's long held territory. On April 26, 1982, the Civil Aeronautics Board approved the Eastern/Braniff lease agreement in a 50 unanimous decision. In February 1954, Mrs. Bess Thurman Braniff was appointed a vice president of the company.