Braniff Ceases Operations, Blames Fare Wars

Braniff International Airlines announced late Thursday that it is ceasing all operations immediately and will stop all regularly scheduled flight service.

The airline blamed the half-price fare wars that resulted in ticket prices that it said undercut its already low fares.

In addition, it said a substantial amount of summer airline traffic, normally a high-volume period for the airline, was diverted to the main U.S. carriers and away from Braniff.

A statement from the airline said the privately held carrier advised passengers holding Braniff tickets to contact other airlines for their specific policies on accepting them.

In similar circumstances in the past, major carriers have generally accepted tickets from an airline ceasing flights.