BRANIFF, INC., MERGES WITH FLORIDA EXPRESS
In October 1987, Braniff, Inc., the successor of Braniff International, announced that it was making an offer to acquire Florida Express Airlines and merge the company with Braniff as the surviving entity. On April 19, 1988, Florida Express became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Braniff, Inc., after the deal was approved by a majority of Florida Express stockholders.
Braniff assumed operation of the Airline’s routes and its British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twinjet aircraft, some of which were the same aircraft that Braniff, Inc.’s predecessor, Braniff Airways, Incorporated, (the first U.S. operator of the type) had retired fully in 1977. The former Florida Express hub at Orlando International Airport, with over 30 flights per day, became a secondary hub for Braniff.
