Ship N901BN was the first of the 50 Airbus A320-231 Twinjets to be delivered to Braniff, Inc. Only five of the original order, including N902BN, 903, 904, and N905BN, were delivered because of the Airline continuing to experience losses due to intense competition on many its routes.
These 148-seat aircraft featured the unique Braniff Two Tone Billboard Color Scheme that included color combinations of Red and Blue and Green and Purple. A total of eleven A-320's were completed for Braniff but the orders were not taken up due to the company's bankruptcy and cessation of scheduled operations in November 1989. These aircraft were stored and later sold to America West Airlines.
N901BN was delivered to Braniff, Inc., on July 13, 1989, and first flew at Airbus Hamburg Germany Finkenwerder Plant on April 20, 1989. The aircraft was initially registered by Airbus as F-WWDQ while undergoing testing and then reregistered by Braniff, Inc., as N901BN the day after delivery on July 14, 1989. Braniff found the new Airbus expensive to operate over its route system, which increased the Airline's losses. Ship N901BN would only be operated until September 1990, when the carrier filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.
Braniff, Inc., ceased all scheduled operations but continued a limited Boeing 727-200 charter operation. All Airbus aircraft were grounded in early November and were stored at Orlando, Florida. Braniff was unable to reorganize itself or find a buyer and the carrier ceased all operations at the end of December 1989. The carrier was liquidated and the Airbus aircraft were returned to the lessors.
Ship N901BN was leased to America West Airlines in September 1990, and reregistered as N620AW in December 1994. The twinjet flew for America West until the carrier merged with US Airways in September 2005, and the lease was transferred to the surviving company US Airways.
In November 2013, US Airways merged with Ft Worth, Texas-based American Airlines although the companies and the Airbus was transferred to the new company. A month later, on December 9, 2013, the aircraft lease was transferred to American Airlines. The aircraft flew for American for the next eight months before being withdrawn from use on August 26, 2014. The aircraft was ferried to Goodyear Airport, at Phoenix, Arizona, and stored and then returned to the lessor on October 1, 2014.
Ship N901BN was deregistered with the Federal Aviation Administration on June 18, 2015. The last registered owner/operator of the Airbus was Wilmington Trust Company, Owner and Trustee of Rodney Square North, Wilmington, Delaware. The aircraft was scrapped during 2015.
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