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. The domestic air carrier was originally headquartered at Dallas Love Field in Dallas, Texas, and later Orlando, Florida. The airline is sometimes referred to as "Braniff II".

History

Hyatt Corporation and Dalfort

In 1984, the Hyatt Corporation reorganized Braniff, Inc.'s successor Braniff International Corporation the holding company of Braniff Airways, Inc., and the airline flew once again using the Braniff name. Jay Pritzker, of Hyatt Hotels, masterminded the reorganization of the original Braniff International Airways and successfully brought the airline out of bankruptcy on December 15, 1983. The new entity was commenced with a total capitalization of US$100 million (70 million from Hyatt and 30 million in Airways' assets) and virtually no debt. Braniff Airways, Inc., incorporated in Nevada, in November 1983, was then changed to "Dalfort Corporation" and a "new" Braniff airline subsidiary, named Braniff, Inc., was formed. Hyatt Corporation owned 80 percent of the newly formed Dalfort Corporation, and Braniff, Inc., was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of Dalfort. Ron Ridgeway was named president.

In June 1982, a trust was created to protect the interests of Braniff Airways and Braniff International Corporation senior creditors. James W. Toren of the Wilmington Trust Company, were both assigned as trustees of the newly formed BRNF Liquidating Trust. The BRNF Trust took control of certain Airways aircraft that had been used as collateral against Airways' and Corporation's debt. BRNF Trust leased 30 Boeing 727-200 series trijet aircraft to the new Braniff, Inc., in December 1983. These aircraft were used to launch the new Braniff on March 31, 1984.

New Braniff prepares for launch

On Thursday, March 1, 1984, Braniff, the successor to Braniff International Airways, and Braniff International Corporation, inaugurated service from its Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport hub to eighteen major US cities. It was the largest single-day successful airline startup in US history.

Braniff International Chairman Howard Putnam had demonstrated his sentiment towards the Braniff brand in June 1982 when he declared "Braniff will not fly again. Go find another job!"

The Braniff Family took Mr. Putnam's advice and embarked on a plan to create a new Braniff. They started their own airline literally from the ground up. Braniff International Airways ceased air carrier operations on May 12–13, 1982, and 22 months later a new reborn Braniff, Inc., was launched.

It was a long and hard-fought battle to put Braniff back into the air. The management at Braniff Airways was not interested in launching a new Braniff but preferred to retire the Braniff name and find a merger partner or a buyer for Airways' assets. Initially, in October 1982, a planned merger between Airways and Pacific Southwest was proposed. PSA wanted to begin a low-cost, no-frills carrier in Texas with DFW as its base, and the assets of Airways looked to be a promising way to achieve this goal.

The new PSA Braniff would be operated as a separate entity and would become known as Pacific Southwest Airlines. The new entity would use some former Braniff employees and operate a select number of Airways' Boeing 727-200s. The plan met with resistance from Airways' labor groups but most importantly from the Federal Aviation Administration which was not pleased with the acquisition of Braniff Airways' landing slots at various proposed airports of service. The deal quickly fell through and Airways' began searching for another merger partner.

However, retired Braniff Airways pilots Captain Jack Morton and Captain Glenn Shoop proposed launching a new Braniff that would operate on its own under the famed and well-known Braniff moniker. The two pilots created a business plan that said the new carrier could operate Boeing 727-200s at 5 cents per available seat mile. Initial offering of the prospectus drew little interest, but Captain Shoop contacted Dallas businessman Bruce Leadbetter, who contacted Hyatt Hotels Chairman Jay Pritzker. Mr. Pritzker was interested in the Morton/Shoop Braniff proposal and agreed to discuss a possible deal.

Once convinced, Pritzker submitted a letter of intent, in April 1983, to Judge John Flower's bankruptcy court in Ft Worth, Texas, that was administering the Airways' and Braniff International Corporation's proceedings. Airways' management was not interested in the plan but was eventually cajoled into agreeing that it was the best course of action for Airways' employees, and creditors. Airways' board of directors approved the Hyatt plan on May 12, 1983, exactly one year after the cessation of operations of Airways. Creditors and labor groups accepted and approved the new plan by September 1983, and then Braniff was quickly becoming a reality.

If there was ever a group of dedicated employees to admire it was the Braniff Family. Once again, they were called to help Braniff and many came to get the new airline flying again. Countless hours of free labor were given to the new venture. A renewed Braniff Spirit was in charge now and it was clear that the future would hold only the best for the new Braniff.

Braniff, Inc. aircraft color schemes

In October 1983, once the Hyatt Corporation plan to resurrect Braniff had been approved by Judge Flower's court and Braniff's labor groups and creditors, it was decided that a new look would be created for the exterior of Braniff's 30 leased Boeing 727-200s. Bob Perlman, Boeing Corporation's director of communications and designer, was tasked with creating a new look for the March 1, 1984, relaunch of the venerable Texas-based carrier.

A modernized version of the 1959 red,-white-and-blue El Dorado scheme was decided upon that included a white upper fuselage, dark-blue lower fuselage and a platinum pewter silver cheat line to separate the two main colors. Large, bold, stylized Braniff lettering in red was used on the forward fuselage but below the window line on the white painted fuselage area. The same lettering was uniquely angled up the vertical tail surfaces that followed the pewter and blue up the rear portion of the rudder surface.

The color scheme was a dramatic departure from the previous airline's solid colors of Alexander Girard and Harper and George. Braniff would retain the new scheme until the late 1980s, when a variety of modifications would be seen, including the placement of the Perlman design on a bare fuselage. A majority of the hybrid Perlamn schemes were the result of the leased aircraft types arriving in the fleet.

A red and light blue with a white dual check scheme was temporarily applied to some aircraft but was quickly decided against. In 1988, the company decided to reintroduce the Harper and George/Cars and Concepts/Halston Ultra Color scheme. A slightly modified Alexander Girard Sky Font was used in place of the Cars and Concepts Braniff Script. For Braniff's new Airbus A320-231 aircraft a unique Braniff Billboard scheme was applied that featured a white upper fuselage, light-blue lower fuselage, and massive red, purple, or gray Braniff lettering down the entire length of the aircraft body. The lettering was a modified Girard Sky Font.

Inauguration of service on March 1, 1984

After a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Braniff Terminal 2W Gate 13A at DFW, the first flight of the new Braniff, Inc., Flight 200 departed for New Orleans, Louisiana, at 6:50 am using a Boeing 727-200 (registered as N446BN). The next departure was ''Flight 131'' with a Boeing 727-200 (N409BN) heading to San Antonio International Airport. Flight 720 was next out for Newark using Boeing 727-200 (N459BN) and finally ''Flight 151'' departed for Houston with a Boeing 727-200 (N453BN).

The successor to Braniff Airways, Inc., and Braniff International Corporation inaugurated services on March 1, 1984, from its Dallas/Ft Worth Airport hub to eighteen major US cities. Oklahoma City, Braniff's former headquarters and first city that a Braniff scheduled flight departed from in 1928, held a special ceremony to celebrate the launching of the new Braniff.

At DFW on the morning of March 1, 1984, ''Braniff Flight 200'' departed from The Braniff Terminal 2W Gate 13A, on time at 650AM, for New Orleans, Louisiana, officially marking the beginning of service for the new Braniff. The first flight included breakfast for everyone on board the flight. Invited guests for the inaugural ceremonies included Braniff executives, retired and former Airways' employees, civic leaders and members of the press who gathered at the former Hawaii Green Surfer Room and later Concorde International Room adjacent to Gate 13 to take part in the inaugural ceremonies.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the entrance to Gate 13A with Braniff and Hyatt Chair Jay A. Prizker and Braniff President William D. Slattery jointly cutting the ceremonial ribbon. The Braniff Crew on the first flight featured Captain Jack Murdock as Pilot In Command. Captain Murdock along with Captain Shoop and Captain Morton were highly instrumental in making the first flight of Braniff, Inc. possible. John Beckman served as Co-Pilot, Richard Rudman Flight Engineer rounded out the rest of the experienced cockpit crew with Mary Morris, Jean Kouns, Cynthia Zell, and Mary Furlich efficiently tending to the main cabin.

Inaugural celebration at Oklahoma City

Descendants of the original founding Braniff family members were on hand at a special celebration in Oklahoma City, home of Braniff's first flight in June 1928. The Braniff descendants enjoying refreshments at Braniff Gate 22 at Will Rogers World Airport were Braniff co-founder Paul Revere Braniff's son John Paul Braniff, Sr., and John Paul's son Michael S. Braniff. The two Braniff's were the guests of honor aboard the inaugural flight of Braniff, out of Oklahoma City heading to DFW Airport.

Flight 103 departed 20 minutes late out of Will Rogers due to the special ceremonies that preceded the history making flight. Scheduled departure time was 927AM but the flight arrived at DFW Airport at 1015AM and slightly late once parked at the gate. Flight 103 was one of 72 new Braniff flights that were launched on March 1, making the launch of the new Braniff the single largest scheduled airline startup in aviation history. Flight 102 from Dallas/Ft Worth to Oklahoma City had arrived earlier in the morning in order to be in position for the OKC to DFW inaugural flight.

Braniff Captain T. E. Watkins commanded the Boeing 727-200s from OKC to DFW. John Paul Braniff, Sr., sent his commemorative timetable to the cockpit for Captain Watkins to sign. Back in the cabin the senior Braniff was busy signing autographs on timetables and an array of other Braniff, Inc., memorabilia that passengers asked him to sign. Upon arrival at DFW Airport the Braniff's were greeted by Braniff, Inc.'s, new President William D. Slattery.

Mr. Braniff, Sr., gave several speeches to Braniff employees during his tour of the new Braniff DFW facilities in Terminal 2W. He noted that, "this is a very touching scene, a very touching time." Mr. Braniff's son Michael, Spartan School of Aeronautics Aircraft Maintenance Technician Program graduate 1982, Tulsa and a student at University of Central Oklahoma, said that he would definitely get an A in history this semester. Braniff, Sr., was highly impressed with the special Braniff Champagne bottles, specially made for the inaugural day celebration, that bore his surname.

Destinations served effective on March 1, 1984

The Braniff timetable dated March 1, 1984 listed the following 20 destinations served by the newly relaunched airline with the following message accompanying the route map: "''THE NEW BRANIFF'' – ''We're building the new Braniff around you."''

*Austin, TX (AUS)
*Chicago, IL (ORD)
*Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW) – Hub
*Denver, CO (DEN)
*Detroit, MI (DTW)
*Houston, TX (IAH)
*Kansas City, MO (MCI)
*Las Vegas, NV (LAS)
*Los Angeles (LAX)
*Miami, FL (MIA)
*Newark, NJ (EWR)
*New Orleans, LA