Imagine a time when crossing Italy was a lengthy journey by train or car. Then picture this: the year is 1926, and the skies above are opening up to a new era of travel. April 1, 1926, marks a truly historic date, not just for the city of Turin, but for the entire nation of Italy: it was the day the first Italian commercial air service was established.

This groundbreaking initiative was the brainchild of the SISA company of Trieste (Italian Society of Air Services), owned by Andrea and Callisto Cosulich. Their vision took flight with the first regular link between Turin-Pavia-Venice-Trieste, utilising Cant 10 Ter seaplanes built by Cantiere Navale Triestino.

These impressive aircraft, powered by a FIAT a12 bis, 6-cylinder 300 HP engine, were capable of carrying four passengers and two crew members (a pilot and an engineer, sometimes a second pilot), along with 50 kilos of mail.

The anticipation for this momentous occasion was palpable. A test flight took place on March 28, 1926, carrying mail, newspapers, and journalists who became the first air passengers. This dry run helped pave the way for the official inauguration just a few days later.

The official inauguration on April 1st was a grand affair, with two pairs of seaplanes departing simultaneously from Portorose (Trieste) and Turin. The westbound aircraft was scheduled to make stops at Venice (Sant’Andrea hydrobase, now the Lagoon) and Pavia, while the eastbound planes followed the reverse route.

In Turin, the seaplanes embarked on their journey from the River Po, in the stretch between the Isabella bridge and the Umberto bridge. However, the weather presented an early challenge. Strong Bora winds sweeping through Trieste forced a last-minute change of departure point from Trieste harbour to the nearby Portorose bay. Despite massive crowds gathering along the Trieste shoreline, the wind made takeoff impossible.

An early-morning meeting in the Hotel Savoia, Trieste, attended by authorities from across Italy, addressed the situation. The possibility of postponement was quickly dismissed due to the high stakes for Cosulich and Trieste’s reputation. The decision was made to proceed from the sheltered Portorose area. Guests and officials were rapidly transported to the SISA flying school hangar, while the disappointed crowds in Trieste could only watch the ruffled sea.

Finally, at 12:02 PM, the two Cant 10 ter seaplanes took to the skies from Portorose, one piloted by Luigi Maria Ragazzi and the other by Antonio Majorana, ushering in the era of scheduled flights in Italy. Among the passengers on the flight from Portorose were Oscar Cosulich, Alderman Riccardo Sulligoi Silvani, General Alberto Bonzani, Manlio Molfese (head of the Civil Aviation Office – today ENAC), and journalist Luciano Cavara. The Turin-bound planes carried journalists Quadrone and Carrara, the assistant Commissioner of Turin, Attilio Levi, and Air Force officers. Senator Giovanni Agnelli and the Special Commissioner of Turin Municipality were present to witness the takeoff.

The three and a half-hour flight came at a premium, costing 350-375 lire, equivalent to a first-class train ticket plus the “sleeper” supplement for the time.

Interestingly, two seaplanes were flown to Turin on March 31st, and another two to Portorose in preparation for the inaugural flights. At Pavia, the seaplanes were scheduled to meet on the Ticino River, where the Head of the Government, Benito Mussolini, attended the official protocol ceremony.

The first seaplane from Turin landed on the Ticino at 11:45 AM, followed shortly by the second. The Trieste planes arrived in the early afternoon after their Venice stop. While only one aircraft completed the entire journey that day due to minor technical issues, the event was considered a success, proving the feasibility of air links using seaplanes.

Following this auspicious beginning, a regular service was established, operating three days a week with synchronized departures at 11:00 AM and a scheduled landing at 4:10 PM, including stops in Pavia and Venice. Each stop lasted about half an hour. The success rate of this early commercial venture was remarkable. In its six years of activity, the company achieved an astonishing 99.42% successful flights, demonstrating the reliability of seaplanes even without modern navigational aids.

The route quickly proved its worth. In the first year alone, 575 connections were made, totaling 1589 hours of flight time and carrying 1,588 passengers. The entire journey, with stops, lasted approximately 5 hours. Over its lifetime, the service completed 12,093 journeys, logging 28,330 flight hours and carrying 59,021 passengers.

This pioneering flight preceded the launch of services by other early Italian airlines, such as the SANA Company between Genoa, Rome, and Naples a few days later, and Aero Espresso’s Brindisi-Constantinople service in August of the same year.

Looking ahead, the significance of this event continues to be recognised. A proposed event in Turin on April 1, 2026, aims to commemorate the centenary of this landmark flight. The plan includes a recreation of the original flight with a fleet of approximately twelve floatplanes landing on the River Po near Parco Valentino, where a commemorative stone already stands. The event is envisioned to feature speeches, exhibits, food stalls, live music, and a flyover by the Frecce Tricolori.

The first commercial flight in Italy was more than just a technical feat; it was a bold step into the future of transport, connecting cities and people in a way never before imagined. It laid the foundation for the thriving aviation industry we know today, and its centennial will be a fitting tribute to this pivotal moment in Italian history.