Braniff plane over NYC's Chrysler Building poster, circa 1930

Braniff Airways, Incorporated, began its first scheduled service on Thursday, 13 November 1930. Two Lockheed Vega aircraft inaugurated the new Airline's first flights between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, a distance of 116 miles, and Oklahoma City and Wichita Falls, Texas. The successor of Paul R. Braniff, Inc., and Braniff Airlines, Inc, Braniff Airways, Incorporated (always written out fully), was incorporated in Oklahoma a few days earlier on 3 November.

The new airline was the successor of brothers Thomas Elmer Braniff and Paul Revere Braniff's first airline, which began operations in June 1928, between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The carrier was initially named Paul R. Braniff, Inc., d/b/a Tulsa - Oklahoma City Airline, and in April 1929, it was sold to a conglomerate of airlines and railroads called Universal Aviation Corporation, which was headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. By the summer of 1930, Universal was sold to AVCO or Aviation Corporation, the predecessor of American Airlines. Paul Braniff left Universal, prior to the AVCO purchase, in November 1929, and promptly went to work for a transport airline in Mexico.

In January 1930, AVCO integrated all of its carriers into the new American Airways. American Airways was renamed American Airlines in 1934, making Braniff Airlines, Inc., one of the predecessors to American Airlines. Paul Braniff returned from Mexico and with his brother formed their second airline venture, Braniff Airways, Inc. The new company was formed in Oklahoma, on 3 November 1930 with two Lockheed L-5 Vega single-engine aircraft that cost $US 10,000 each.

Ten days after the new Braniff Airways, Incorporated, was incorporated, the two Lockheed Vegas flew the Airline's first scheduled flights, which carried passengers and express freight, although Braniff would not be awarded an airmail contract until May 1934. The company's routes were between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, as they were for the Braniff brother's first airline, with an extension from Oklahoma City to Wichita Falls, Texas. Braniff quickly expanded its route system to include Kansas City Fairfax Airport on 5 December 1930. The new service operated nonstop between Kansas City and Tulsa and additional new cities were added in early 1931.

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