Braniff I's last timetable before the May 14, 1982 shutdown. Braniff became the first major U.S. Airline to file for bankruptcy and shutdown, the first major victim of deregulation, a weak economy, and over-expansion. American opened up its DFW hub in June 1981 further weakening Braniff. This was the death knoll as all Braniff had left besides Latin America was DFW. The South American routes had already been sold to Eastern for a June 1 transfer. Prior to the shutdown, the airline had contracted to it's pre-1978 expansion binge status â€" Europe (except London), Asia, Concorde, and 30 domestic cities had been erased from the schedule. Texas Class, a one-class low-cost service, was unsuccessful in saving the carrier. Between 1982 and 1983, a merger attempt was made with PSA but failed.