The Airchive-Braniff I & II Timetables

		January 1953 In 1953, Braniff was flying Convair 340s and DC-6s throughout the Midwest and South America. A year later, founder Tom Braniff would die in a private plane accident.
		January 1957 This timetable highlighted the Braniff fleet at the pinnacle of the piston days.Timetable courtesy of the Braniff Pages.
		January 4, 1960 Braniff introduced Jet service on December 15, 1959 with a flight from Love Field to Idewild. Prior to delivery, Braniff’s first 707 crashes in October, 1959 with on a training flight. Service then began with just 3 707-227s. Braniff’s 707s had upgraded Pratt Jt-4A powerplants principally for its South American “hot and high” schedules.
		October 29, 1961 Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		September 1, 1965 This is the last schedule prior to Braniff's introduction of the Pucci redesign.
		October 31, 1965 In 1965, Braniff unveiled its groundbreaking “end of the plain plane” campaign with multi-colored jets, exotic Pucci designed uniforms, and an high-end in flight service. The brainchild of new CEO Harding Lawrence and his soon to be wife advertising executive Mary Wells made Braniff the most distinctive, trendsetting airline in the industry for years. Timetable courtesy of the Braniff Pages.
		March 1, 1972 Braniff introduced “727 Braniff Place”, the first narrow bodied aircraft with modern upgraded interiors including enclosed overhead bins. 1 year before, Braniff had introduced it’s first 747 for Hawaiian flights and an updated “flying colors” scheme.
		Summer, 1973 Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		Fall, 1975 Braniff was on the cusp of deregulation in 1975, but service was already suffering terribly. Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		Winter, 1975 Braniff was on the cusp of deregulation in 1975, but service was already suffering terribly. Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		March 1, 1978 Braniff inaugurated service to London Gatwick on March 15, 1978. The flights were flown by Braniff’s first 747-100 “Big Orange” N601BN. Within a year, extensive Asian, European, and vastly expanded domestic destinations would be added as deregulation kicked in. No airline took expanded under dergulation as much as Braniff did, nor did any other suffer as much. Ironically, In the last year of Braniff I's existence in 1981-82, the schedule would contract to these pre-deregulation levels.
		March 15, 1979 Little more than one year, deregulation, Braniff reached it’s ultimate state. First, it introduced a classy, 3rd generation color scheme, “The Ultra”. Second, Braniff was flying a Concorde interchange from Dallas to London and Paris through Washington D.C. Third, Boeing 747-100’s, 200’s, and SP’s could be seen in far flung destinations such as Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and Brussels. This overly aggressive expansion was one major reason for this colorful carrier’s destruction. Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		October 28, 1979 One year after the beginning of deregulation, Braniff reached it’s ultimate state. First, it introduced a classy, 3rd generation color scheme, “The Ultra”. Second, Braniff was flying a Concorde interchange from Dallas to London and Paris through Washington D.C. Third, Boeing 747-100’s, 200’s, and SP’s could be seen in far flung destinations such as Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and Brussels. This overly aggressive expansion was one major reason for this colorful carrier’s destruction.
		January 7, 1980 After less than a year of Asian service, Braniff pulled out of all Pacific markets except Honolulu. The international system had peaked and would continue to be curtailed until the BI's May, 1982 bankrupcty. The 747 SPs were shifted to Europe and South America. Domestic service, however, reached its peak at this time. Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		October 26, 1980 By October, Braniff was in full contraction mode, substantially trimming it's domestic service as well as Europe. The end was less than 18 months away. Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		Summer, 1981 By Summer 1981, Braniff had contracted to a schedule smaller than its pre-deregulation expansion. The end was less than a year away. Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		April 15, 1982 Braniff I’s last timetable before the May 14, 1982 shutdown. Braniff became the first major U.S. Airline to file for bankruptcy and shutdown, the first major victim of deregulation, a weak economy, and over-expansion. American opened up its DFW hub in June 1981 further weakening Braniff. This was the death knoll as all Braniff had left besides Latin America was DFW. The South American routes had already been sold to Eastern for a June 1 transfer. Prior to the shutdown, the airline had contracted to it’s pre-1978 expansion binge status – Europe (except London), Asia, Concorde, and 30 domestic cities had been erased from the schedule. Texas Class, a one-class low-cost service, was unsuccessful in saving the carrier. Between 1982 and 1983, a merger attempt was made with PSA but failed.
		March 1, 1984 Nearly 2 years after the 1982 shutdown, Braniff resumed flights with it’s original 727-200’s, on March 1, 1984 from its DFW hub. The first flight operated was flight 200 from DFW to New Orleans. This incarnation would only last 5 years until 1989 with the Dallas hub shifted to Orlando and Kansas City.
		October, 1988 Braniff II had very little life left in it. There was a strategy shift, nearly every year. At this time, with the purchase of Florida Express Orlando had become a major hub while the DFW hub retreated to Kansas City. American chased Braniff out of its hometown. Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		Special Thanks to: Chris Cummings chris@irisreg.com
		September 1, 1989 Braniff II, barely 5 years old, would terminate all service on September 28, 1989. At the time, Braniff was flying BAC 1-11’s, Airbus A-320s, 737s, and 727s from hubs in Kansas City and Orlando. Braniff also debut a new “billboard” livery in the year. Braniff III would launch in 1991, and last only a year.
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