8/14/1969: Braniff's Inaugural Nonstop to Hawaii
The launch of Braniff's transpacific routes in 1969 followed three years of applications.
The launch of Braniff's transpacific routes in 1969 followed three years of applications.
DALLAS - Today in Aviation, the Iconic US airline Braniff International (BN) commenced nonstop services from Dallas Love Field (DAL) to Honolulu (HNL) in 1969.
Flight BN501 was operated by one of the airline's Boeing 707-327Cs, painted in its eye-catching bright orange 'The End of the Plain Plane' livery. At the controls was Captain M.W. "Mal" Sellmeyer, who, along with his colleagues, was presented with a Hawaiian lei by Hawaiian Airlines (HA) officials before departure.
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The 707' intercontinental jet' was packed, with tickets selling out weeks before the inaugural service. Onboard were numerous BN officials, including the airline's Vice President of Regulatory Proceedings, Tom Robertson. Mr. Robertson had been pivotal in the airline's application in the Transpacific Route Case, filed on February 23, 1966. This was eventually approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) on January 4, 1969.
Upon arrival in Hawaii, the aircraft was welcomed by Hawaiian dignitaries. The reigning Miss Hawaii was also there to greet Miss Texas, who had been onboard the flight. A welcoming ceremony was then held at Governor's Lounge at HNL.
The airline added new non-stop flights to HNL from Atlanta (ATL) and Houston (IAH) on September 1, 1969. On October 1, 1969, BN added a second daily non-stop flight between DAL and HNL. At its peak, the airline operated 48 weekly scheduled services between the US mainland and the Hawaiian Islands.
When the airline received its first Boeing 747, 'Braniff Place', on January 15, 1971, it replaced the 707 on the prestigious route and became the flagship of the airline's Hawaiian service.
Featured Image: Braniff International 707-327C (N7097) pictured at HNL. Photo: RuthAS, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.
Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!
