In 1971, Braniff took delivery of its first Boeing 747-100. Notably, this was the 100th 747 off the Boeing production line. The aircraft, registered N601BN, was Braniff's flagship and was given the name ‘747 Braniff Place' with marketing slogan 'the most exclusive address in the sky.' The aircraft was dedicated to the airline's flights to Hawaii, operating its first flight between Dallas and Honolulu on January 15th, 1971. The color selected was a deep orange, and the plane, quickly received from the press the nickname 'The Great Pumpkin' and 'The Big Orange'. In 1978, upon deregulation, Braniff expanded its long-haul operations. The airline's sole 747 was subsequently joined by several other 747-100s and 747SPs. N601BN, the original 'Great Pumpkin,' flew the inaugural flight from Dallas to London. Also the airline dropped the International titling on the aircraft, however, the 747 fleet retained the 'International' titles due to their deployment on the airline's international route.
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