The other day, someone in a Facebook discussion group that I belong to was pondering what Braniff's fleet might look like today if they hadn't gone bankrupt.
That got me thinking. Braniff has always been one of my favorite airlines thanks to my dad's interest in their color schemes, even though they never served my home airport (Indianapolis) except with occasional charters to Vegas. I researched the history of what exactly caused the bankruptcy and came up with a scenario that would have allowed Braniff to avoid its ignoble fate.
In 1978, Harding Lawrence didn't allow deregulation to throw him into a panic. A more rational, measured approach was taken which involved expansion of the US domestic network, along with seeking a merger partner. An enthusiastic match was found in Allegheny, who was strong precisely where Braniff was weak, in the Great Lakes and Northeast. Allegheny likewise desired a comprehensive US network, and a merger with Braniff would give them that instantly. It was unanimously agreed that the combined company would keep the Braniff name and branding due to greater brand recognition on a national level.
A new, simplified paint scheme was introduced in 1980 which was primarily bare metal but featured a variable color on the tail, aft fuselage, and belly. This scheme drew elements from Braniff's three previous livery eras. The white "BI" logo and accent color band from the Flying Colors era returned to the tail. A narrow stripe in the accent color ran along the edge of the colored area, slightly inset from the edge (echoing the striping pattern of the Ultra era, but in simplified form). The titles returned to the font used during the Jellybean and Flying Colors eras, but with the name simplified to "Braniff". The titles (and registration markings) were in the same color as the aircraft's feature color.
The four two-tone pairs from the Flying Colors era made a comeback, along with Perseus Green, Mercury Blue, Sparkling Burgundy, and Chocolate Brown from the Ultra era, and Panagra Yellow and Lemon Yellow (as a coordinated pair), and Lavender (coordinated with a new darker purple) from the Jellybean era. Lastly, an all-new black/gray combo was introduced.
Braniff became a launch customer for the 757 (with RR engines) and the 767 (with GE engines) to replace the DC-8s and expand service to Europe. International expansion was undertaken in a carefully measured fashion, primarily centered on Philadelphia and Dallas, to London, Paris, and Frankfurt.
After production of the 727 ceased, the 737-300 and -400 were favored for continued US domestic growth. And in 1999, the first batch of 737-800s was delivered to begin replacing the 727s.
In 2003, the paint scheme was revised to replace the bare metal with silver paint (similar to that used by Northwest and American) to eliminate the patchwork appearance of non-metallic components, as well as to prepare for the arrival of the 787. Today, the 737-800 and -900 (along with their equivalent MAX versions) form the backbone of the US domestic fleet (and most routes within the Caribbean and Latin America and to some minor European destinations), with fatter routes covered by the 757 and 767-300ER, and 787-8 and 787-9. The current iteration of the paint scheme is illustrated on 737-800s with scimitar winglets...
That got me thinking. Braniff has always been one of my favorite airlines thanks to my dad's interest in their color schemes, even though they never served my home airport (Indianapolis) except with occasional charters to Vegas. I researched the history of what exactly caused the bankruptcy and came up with a scenario that would have allowed Braniff to avoid its ignoble fate.
In 1978, Harding Lawrence didn't allow deregulation to throw him into a panic. A more rational, measured approach was taken which involved expansion of the US domestic network, along with seeking a merger partner. An enthusiastic match was found in Allegheny, who was strong precisely where Braniff was weak, in the Great Lakes and Northeast. Allegheny likewise desired a comprehensive US network, and a merger with Braniff would give them that instantly. It was unanimously agreed that the combined company would keep the Braniff name and branding due to greater brand recognition on a national level.
A new, simplified paint scheme was introduced in 1980 which was primarily bare metal but featured a variable color on the tail, aft fuselage, and belly. This scheme drew elements from Braniff's three previous livery eras. The white "BI" logo and accent color band from the Flying Colors era returned to the tail. A narrow stripe in the accent color ran along the edge of the colored area, slightly inset from the edge (echoing the striping pattern of the Ultra era, but in simplified form). The titles returned to the font used during the Jellybean and Flying Colors eras, but with the name simplified to "Braniff". The titles (and registration markings) were in the same color as the aircraft's feature color.
The four two-tone pairs from the Flying Colors era made a comeback, along with Perseus Green, Mercury Blue, Sparkling Burgundy, and Chocolate Brown from the Ultra era, and Panagra Yellow and Lemon Yellow (as a coordinated pair), and Lavender (coordinated with a new darker purple) from the Jellybean era. Lastly, an all-new black/gray combo was introduced.
Braniff became a launch customer for the 757 (with RR engines) and the 767 (with GE engines) to replace the DC-8s and expand service to Europe. International expansion was undertaken in a carefully measured fashion, primarily centered on Philadelphia and Dallas, to London, Paris, and Frankfurt.
After production of the 727 ceased, the 737-300 and -400 were favored for continued US domestic growth. And in 1999, the first batch of 737-800s was delivered to begin replacing the 727s.
In 2003, the paint scheme was revised to replace the bare metal with silver paint (similar to that used by Northwest and American) to eliminate the patchwork appearance of non-metallic components, as well as to prepare for the arrival of the 787. Today, the 737-800 and -900 (along with their equivalent MAX versions) form the backbone of the US domestic fleet (and most routes within the Caribbean and Latin America and to some minor European destinations), with fatter routes covered by the 757 and 767-300ER, and 787-8 and 787-9. The current iteration of the paint scheme is illustrated on 737-800s with scimitar winglets...
