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. Welcome back to another video! [20], In the fall of 1976, Braniff commissioned American couturier Halston to bring an elegant and sophisticated feel to Braniff. 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. By October 1951, Braniff flew to 29 airports in the US, from Chicago and Denver south to Brownsville, Texas, to Central America, Cuba and South America. In 1927, Paul R. Braniff and his brother Thomas Elmer Braniff and several investors formed Oklahoma Aero Club to fly the founding executives using a Stinson Detroiter, purchased by Paul Braniff, registered as NC1929, on hunting, fishing, and business trips. King, a former Braniff vice president; two-thirds of the airline's executives came from Braniff, and even its office furniture was Braniff surplus bought at the airline's bankruptcy liquidation sale. 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 . 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. The DC-3 had just entered the fleet in December 1939. 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). This key premise was highly successful. 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. Oct 21, 2018 - Braniff Airlines Fleet | Braniff International Airways B727-200 | Airlines of the Past | Pinte . The entire makeover, introduced in November 1965, was referred to as the 'End of the Plain Plane' campaign. The United States Postal Service granted Braniff their first airmail route soon after and the new route was inaugurated in May 1934, which effectively saved the company from failure. However, the helmets were still approved for use through 1967. 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. 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]. Braniff charged only a 10-percent premium over standard first-class fare to fly the Concorde and later removed the surcharge. Jetrail was the world's first fully automated monorail system, taking passengers from remote parking lots at Love Field to the Braniff terminal. 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]. The Military Airlift Command routes were expanded in the Pacific and added to the Atlantic side in 1966. Perhaps ironically, Virgin co-owner Singapore Airlines once had its colors on the side of the Concorde when it operated joint flights with British Airways. [2], The trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property of Braniff Airways, Inc., Braniff International Corporation and Braniff, Inc., Mid-Continent Airlines, Inc., and Panagra Pan American Grace Airways and Long and Harman Airlines, Inc., are currently owned by Braniff Airways, Inc., of The Braniff Building, 324 North Robinson Avenue, Suite 100, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The new airline was solely dependent on passenger carrying fares for its revenue since it had not entered into any mail or express contracts with the United States Post Office. In February 1954, Mrs. Bess Thurman Braniff was appointed a vice president of the company. Braniff's Boeing 747 aircraft continued to carry the "Braniff International" titles in the 1969 Harper and George International Font. The flight originated at Wichita Falls and continued to Midway Airport with intermediate stops at Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Kansas City. To date there are more than 25 different interior designs across its fleet, which includes the Challenger 350, the Embraer Legacy 450, Global Express, the Gulfstream . The new fleet carried such colors as beige, ochre, orange, turquoise, baby blue, medium blue, lemon yellow, and lavender/periwinkle blue. Passengers holding Braniff tickets will be able to fly on other airlilnes, although on a standby basis. In October 1951 departures from Dallas became daily: three a week to Buenos Aires and four to Rio de Janeiro. An ex-Braniff and Alaska Airlines 727, which joined the Aces fleet in 1992. 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]. Seen parked with lots of other Braniff airliners just prior to ceasing operations. This site is dedicated to flight simulator enthusiasts around the world who share a common love of both aviation and the airline formerly known as Braniff International Airways. 1 Mar 1984. 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. The Boeing 727 would become the backbone of the Braniff fleet and the trijet was the key aircraft in the 1971 Fleet Standardization Plan, which called for three aircraft types: the Boeing 727 primarily operated . This doubled the 727 utilization rate and allowed Braniff to open the new cargo business, dubbed AirGo. 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. Sun Country then reorganized and currently flies a modern fleet of Boeing 737-800s. Free shipping for many products! The expansion was successful operationally and financially. Emilio Pucci designed additional new uniforms for Braniff through 1975. [26], In 1979, international hubs were created in Boston and Los Angeles to handle expected increases in travel outside North America while international service was increased from Dallas/Fort Worth. By this point, the airline dream that had started with one used plane now had a fleet of 75 aircraft, 400 pilots, and 4,000 employees. 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. In addition to the Hawaii and Gatwick services, routes were also opened up to Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Paris from Dallas. [1] In 1978 Braniff announced it had chosen the Boeing 757 and 767 to replace the DC-8s over its Latin America Division routes, but the airline never operated the 757, 767, A300 or MD-80.[19]. The new company, founded in May 1928, began regularly scheduled service from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, using 6-passenger Lockheed Vega single-engine aircraft on June 20, 1928. And the Braniff board ousted Mr. Lawrence when it was clear they made the wrong decision based on his suggestions. Braniff was fully reimbursed for any losses incurred as a result of the interchange agreement. It was now coming true for all of these smaller carriers. 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. Charles Edmund Beard led Braniff into the jet age. 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. . In early 1982, Braniff Chairman Howard Putnam decided to sell the Latin American Division. [1] Besides standard model 747s, long range 747SPs were acquired as well for these new international flights with the 747 also being operated to South America. However, in early 2022, the private Trust that originally owned Braniff's intellectual property since 1983, reacquired these assets along with the original Braniff companies and corresponding assets. 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. 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. [11], In 1964, Troy Post, chairman of Greatamerica Corporation, an insurance holding company based in Dallas, purchased Braniff and National Car Rental as part of an expansion of holdings and growth outside the insurance business. . The airline began marketing itself simply as Braniff International, or BI. Considering the airline wasn't filling its existing 707s the advent of a massive fleet of new much larger 747s was ominous. 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. Eventually, the Braniff brothers, Mr. Lybrand, and Mr. Westervelt bought out the interests of the other investors. [11] President Beard said the two aircraft would be used on the carrier's US to Latin America flights, where the Boeing 707 was performing satisfactorily. In 1975 it was showcased at the Paris Air Show in Paris, France. Vintage Airlines. The flight from Oklahoma City SW 29th Street Airport to Tulsa McIntire Airport was uneventful. This, ironically, was based on the 1930s Braniff Lockheed Vega color schemes, which also carried colorful paint with white wings and tails. 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. Tom's son, Thurman Braniff, was killed in a training plane crash at Oklahoma City in 1937, and his daughter Jeanne Braniff Terrell died in 1948 from complications of childbirth. As an example, Braniff's revenue for 1979 was three times less than American's, which had moved its headquarters to Braniff's hometown, DFW Airport in 1979. On February 25, 1931, Braniff welcomed in the new year by adding Chicago Midway Airport to its route map. Pucci used a series of nautical themes for crew uniforms for flight attendants, pilots, ground and terminal personnel. Includes 1 Model C. Only mainline turboprop aircraft type operated by the airline. BVA shares several codeshare agreements with Virgin Australia . However, an unforeseen strike by the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) caused delays and a decrease in traffic that actually enabled the carrier to regroup during the decrease in service. [1], To begin the overhaul of Braniff's image, Lawrence hired Jack Tinker and Partners, who assigned advertising executive Mary Wells later Mary Wells Lawrence after her November 1967 marriage to Harding Lawrence in Paris as account leader. 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. C. RTW777 Info. 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 (9) Capital Airlines (1) Continental (13) Delta Air Lines (49) Empire Airlines (1) US F thru O (94) FAA (3) Frontier (17) . In 1970, Braniff International Airways accepted delivery of the 100th Boeing 747, the first of 12 in its fleet. In 1930, the company was bought by the Aviation Corporation (AVCO) which was the predecessor of American Airlines.[4]. Braniff quickly expanded its route system to include Kansas City Fairfax Airport on December 5, 1930. 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. 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. The typeface was employed across Braniff's operations, on everything from airplane livery to timetables, matchbooks, and serving pieces. 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. Braniff had saved the historic Driskill from demolition in 1973 and purchased the entity outright in February 1975. Boeing 720s were added in the early 1960s. The airline's main asset is its fleet of about 70 . Halston's uniforms and simple designs were praised by critics and passengers. The wings iced up on approach to landing in Shreveport, and the plane lost altitude. . 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". However, the return flight was delayed several hours for thunderstorms in the area. [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. This add-on makes the following airliners, in a range of liveries;* BAC-111. [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). After months of negotiations Braniff acquired Mid-Continent Airlines, a small Kansas City-based trunk line, on August 16, 1952. . [3], The first flight was flown by Paul R. Braniff along with the company mechanic. Delivery of the 100th Boeing 747, the return flight was delayed hours. 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