SUPPLEMENTAL CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION BS (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 104,146	$ 204,341	$ 215,623	$ 261,550
Accounts receivable	258,618us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent	297,443us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent
Inventories	147,169us-gaap_InventoryNet	137,463us-gaap_InventoryNet
Assets held for sale	57,827	29,276
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	70,091	53,084
Total current assets	637,851us-gaap_AssetsCurrent	721,607us-gaap_AssetsCurrent
Intercompany investment	0brs_IntercompanyInvestment	0brs_IntercompanyInvestment
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	216,376	262,615
Intercompany notes receivable	0us-gaap_DueFromRelatedPartiesNoncurrent	0us-gaap_DueFromRelatedPartiesNoncurrent
Total property and equipment, at cost	2,665,828us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross	2,792,123us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
Less - Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(508,727)	(523,372)
Total property and equipment, net	2,157,101us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet	2,268,751us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Goodwill	75,628us-gaap_Goodwill	56,680us-gaap_Goodwill	28,897us-gaap_Goodwill
Other assets	143,764us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent	88,604us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent
Total assets	3,230,720us-gaap_Assets	3,398,257us-gaap_Assets
Accounts payable	84,193us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent	89,818us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent
Accrued liabilities	258,445us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent	204,498us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent
Current deferred taxes	17,704us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesCurrent	12,372us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesCurrent
Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt	18,730us-gaap_DebtCurrent	14,207us-gaap_DebtCurrent
Deferred sale leaseback advance - current	55,934brs_DeferredSaleLeasebackAdvanceCurrent	136,930brs_DeferredSaleLeasebackAdvanceCurrent
Total current liabilities	435,006us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent	457,825us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent
Long-term debt, less current maturities	845,692us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent	827,095us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent
Intercompany notes payable	0us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesNoncurrent	0us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesNoncurrent
Accrued pension liabilities	99,576	86,823
Other liabilities and deferred credits	39,782us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent	78,126us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent
Deferred taxes	165,655	169,519
Temporary equity	26,223	22,283
Common stock	376us-gaap_CommonStockValue	373us-gaap_CommonStockValue
Additional paid-in capital	781,837us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapital	762,813us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapital
Retained earnings	1,284,442	1,245,220
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(270,329)	(156,506)	(199,683)	(159,239)
Treasury stock	(184,796)us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue	(103,965)us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue
Stockholders' equity	1,611,530us-gaap_StockholdersEquity	1,747,935us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Noncontrolling interests	7,256us-gaap_MinorityInterest	8,651us-gaap_MinorityInterest
Total stockholders' investment	1,618,786	1,756,586	1,610,957	1,521,824
Total liabilities and stockholders' investment	3,230,720	3,398,257
Land and Building [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	171,959	145,973
Aircraft and equipment [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	2,493,869	2,646,150
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	126	4,640	31,853	76,609
Accounts receivable	377,158	32,280
Inventories	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,850	3,882
Total current assets	382,134	40,802
Intercompany investment	1,410,347	1,273,337
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Intercompany notes receivable	1,184,335	1,286,354
Total property and equipment, at cost	111,287	65,071
Less - Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(16,431)	(13,057)
Total property and equipment, net	94,856	52,014
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	43,423	204,679
Total assets	3,115,095	2,857,186
Accounts payable	203,700	8,298
Accrued liabilities	31,805	36,442
Current deferred taxes	(3,661)	(7,640)
Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt	9,088	4,543
Deferred sale leaseback advance - current	0	0
Total current liabilities	240,932	41,643
Long-term debt, less current maturities	812,536	805,965
Intercompany notes payable	100,000	0
Accrued pension liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities and deferred credits	17,144	13,750
Deferred taxes	141,771	144,461
Temporary equity	0	0
Common stock	376	373
Additional paid-in capital	781,837	762,813
Retained earnings	1,284,442	1,245,220
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(80,604)	(54,719)
Treasury stock	(184,796)	(103,965)
Stockholders' equity	1,801,255	1,849,722
Noncontrolling interests	1,457	1,645
Total stockholders' investment	1,802,712	1,851,367
Total liabilities and stockholders' investment	3,115,095	2,857,186
Parent Company [Member] \| Land and Building [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	2,830	977
Parent Company [Member] \| Aircraft and equipment [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	108,457	64,094
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	884	0	5,370	3,155
Accounts receivable	342,239	104,155
Inventories	44,285	40,864
Assets held for sale	54,695	8,505
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	7,035	3,258
Total current assets	449,138	156,782
Intercompany investment	111,380	111,435
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Total property and equipment, at cost	1,165,164	1,406,625
Less - Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(223,245)	(211,385)
Total property and equipment, net	941,919	1,195,240
Goodwill	4,756	4,755
Other assets	988	1,462
Total assets	1,508,181	1,469,674
Accounts payable	369,854	67,728
Accrued liabilities	37,860	32,084
Current deferred taxes	2,503	(1,342)
Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Deferred sale leaseback advance - current	55,934	136,930
Total current liabilities	466,151	235,400
Long-term debt, less current maturities	0	0
Intercompany notes payable	131,075	378,983
Accrued pension liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities and deferred credits	8,379	37,876
Deferred taxes	6,346	9,472
Temporary equity	0	0
Common stock	4,996	4,996
Additional paid-in capital	9,291	9,291
Retained earnings	881,943	793,656
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0
Treasury stock	0	0
Stockholders' equity	896,230	807,943
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders' investment	896,230	807,943
Total liabilities and stockholders' investment	1,508,181	1,469,674
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Land and Building [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	50,946	49,499
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Aircraft and equipment [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	1,114,218	1,357,126
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	103,136	200,147	178,400	181,786
Accounts receivable	447,776	310,288
Inventories	102,884	96,599
Assets held for sale	3,132	20,771
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	58,206	45,944
Total current assets	715,134	673,749
Intercompany investment	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	216,376	262,615
Intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Total property and equipment, at cost	1,389,377	1,320,427
Less - Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(269,051)	(298,930)
Total property and equipment, net	1,120,326	1,021,497
Goodwill	70,872	51,925
Other assets	99,353	50,392
Total assets	2,222,061	2,060,178
Accounts payable	289,838	157,297
Accrued liabilities	206,789	141,423
Current deferred taxes	18,862	21,354
Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt	9,642	9,664
Deferred sale leaseback advance - current	0	0
Total current liabilities	525,131	329,738
Long-term debt, less current maturities	33,156	21,130
Intercompany notes payable	1,065,918	1,076,292
Accrued pension liabilities	99,576	86,823
Other liabilities and deferred credits	21,711	26,500
Deferred taxes	17,538	15,586
Temporary equity	26,223	22,283
Common stock	22,876	22,876
Additional paid-in capital	284,048	270,905
Retained earnings	133,559	177,159
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(13,474)	3,880
Treasury stock	0	0
Stockholders' equity	427,009	474,820
Noncontrolling interests	5,799	7,006
Total stockholders' investment	432,808	481,826
Total liabilities and stockholders' investment	2,222,061	2,060,178
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Land and Building [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	118,183	95,497
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Aircraft and equipment [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	1,271,194	1,224,930
Consolidations, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	(446)	0	0
Accounts receivable	(908,555)	(149,280)
Inventories	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(908,555)	(149,726)
Intercompany investment	(1,521,727)	(1,384,772)
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Intercompany notes receivable	(1,184,335)	(1,286,354)
Total property and equipment, at cost	0	0
Less - Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0	0
Total property and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	0	(167,929)
Total assets	(3,614,617)	(2,988,781)
Accounts payable	(779,199)	(143,505)
Accrued liabilities	(18,009)	(5,451)
Current deferred taxes	0	0
Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Deferred sale leaseback advance - current	0	0
Total current liabilities	(797,208)	(148,956)
Long-term debt, less current maturities	0	0
Intercompany notes payable	(1,296,993)	(1,455,275)
Accrued pension liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities and deferred credits	(7,452)	0
Deferred taxes	0	0
Temporary equity	0	0
Common stock	(27,872)	(27,872)
Additional paid-in capital	(293,339)	(280,196)
Retained earnings	(1,015,502)	(970,815)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(176,251)	(105,667)
Treasury stock	0	0
Stockholders' equity	(1,512,964)	(1,384,550)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders' investment	(1,512,964)	(1,384,550)
Total liabilities and stockholders' investment	(3,614,617)	(2,988,781)
Consolidations, Eliminations [Member] \| Land and Building [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	0	0
Consolidations, Eliminations [Member] \| Aircraft and equipment [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total property and equipment, at cost	$ 0	$ 0

Amount received for progress payments we had previously made on aircraft that we assigned future payments due on these construction agreements to the purchaser. As we have the obligation and intent to lease the aircraft back from the purchaser expected within one year we recorded this current liability equal to the cash received and payments made by the purchaser. Also, includes capitalized interest.

No definition available.