This categories is intended for sites about the history of the people, facilities, equipment, and company operations of three airlines which shared the Braniff name: Braniff Airways, later Braniff International, in operation from 1928 to 1982; Braniff, operational from 1985-1989; and Braniff International Airline, a charter service in operation in 1991 and 1992. The first Braniff grew aggressively from its Dallas base and in the 1960s became known for its flamboyant advertising, decor and flight attendant uniforms. Braniff was the only U.S. airline to offer regular Concorde service (a codeshare Braniff flight was the first commercial supersonic flight to the United States), and the airline also pioneered mid-continent service to Europe and Hawaii. At the time of deregulation, Braniff International was the fifth largest airline in the United States. Costs associated with mounting debt and questionable accounting were compounded by a massive post-deregulation expansion, however, and BusinessWeek cited trouble at the airline in October of 1979. After several years of substantial losses, Braniff International ceased operations in May 1982, the first major U.S. airline ever to declare bankruptcy.
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