Thanks to a previous PBB subscriber and a never-ending resource of Braniff history, Mr. RT Simpson of Phoenix, who wrote this trip down memory lane concerning what happened 25 years ago today — on another airline geek list that I belong to.
“It was one helluva storm on May 12th.
As I left a meeting in downtown Dallas and got onto the turnpike to my home in Arlington, I turned on the radio to KRLD for an update on the weather. The windshield wipers were on their highest setting, yet mother nature was easily winning the battle of reduced visibility. I knew spring storms in North Central Texas could be quite severe, but nothing prepared me for what I heard on the radio.
KRLD reporters were interviewing Braniff employees who were packing up their personal belongings and told not to return to work. For the past several months the roller coaster known as Braniff International was one of the most followed news stories in the Metroplex. Delayed paychecks, route consolidations, 3 for 1 ticket sales, celebrity endorsements to save Braniff, the sale of Latin America routes and the impact of a possible shutdown on the local economy.
But none of that mattered anymore as for the first time ever it became apparent that Braniff had gone bust. As the thunderstorm pounded DFW International Airport, flights were routinely delay at all airlines. But only Braniff canceled flights and no one at the airport seemed to know why. Even Braniff employees weren’t told.
Everyone at Braniff World Headquarters, a sprawling monument to the ambitions and ego of former CEO Harding Lawrence, were tight lipped. But after 5pm when the employees left the building, then word went out that due to business conditions Braniff was temporarily shutting down and a news conference would be held the next morning.
As the storm lifted and weather returned to normal, Braniff’s fleet returned to DFW where the planes were parked around the semi circular terminal. As far as the eye could see were brightly colored Braniff 727s..some in the Ultra livery, but a lot in the older two tone combination. There wasn’t enough money to repaint the entire fleet. The 747 to London never left the gate. The 747 to Hawaii was enroute to Honolulu and would return the next morning. The 747SP was ferried from Miami, where it flew to Latin America destinations. All the DC-8s went to Braniff’s maintenance facility at Love Field as they would not be needed if the airline was to restart in the future.
At the stroke of midnight a Bankruptcy judge signed the three petitions putting Braniff into Chapter 11. A news conference in the morning revealed the ugly truth: All but around 100 employees were terminated. Paychecks issued in the past week were not negotiable. There would be no resumption of service in the near future. The debt was too great, the assets too few and the airline industry was in shambles. Even arch rival American Airlines was losing money.
Gone were Flying Colors. Gone were glamorous international destinations. Gone were Halston, Pucci, Girard, Calder and the style that set Braniff apart from all other airlines. And gone were the dreamers who never thought Braniff International would never end.
It was one helluva storm on May 12!”
As RT signs off on all of his emails, “Braniff International, Flying Colors forever!”