When did the first passenger service airlines operations commence in the United States of America and when was intercontinental services established?
The first DOMESTIC PASSENGER SERVICE airlines to establish scheduled passenger service by aeroplane was the St Petersburg—Tampa Airboat Line of St Petersburg, Fla., which commenced flight operations on I January 1914. Passengers were carried across the 20-milewide Tampa Bay one at a time in a Benoist flying-boat piloted by Tony Jannus. The first paying passenger was Mayor A.C. Pheil of St Petersburg, who bought the world’s first airline ticket at auction for $400.
The first operational airline in Europe, and the first in the world to achieve a sustained service, was Germany’s DLR (Deutsche Luft-Reederei), which began flying between Berlin and Weimar on a regular daily schedule on 6 February 1919. It would appear that only mail and newspapers were carried on the initial flights, but by 28 February a total of 19 passengers had made the journey. The aircraft used were open-cockpit LVG CIV biplanes, which meant that passengers had to be issued with flying-suits. helmets and goggles, and fur-lined flying boots. Shortly, however, DLR began using AEG ill biplanes with a five-seater passenger compartment. Further internal routes opened up during the course of 1919 included Berlin-Hamburg (1 March), Berlin—Hanover—Rotthausen (15 April) and Berlin—Warnemiinde (15 April). One standard airline feature that had been pioneered by DLR before the end of the year was the adoption of a corporate emblem for display on their aircraft, and this symbol—a crane rising in flight—is still used as the fleet emblem of Lufthansa.
The first scheduled civil airline service in Britain was maintained between Alexander Park, Manchester and Blackpool/Southport by A.V. Roe & Co. from 10 May to 30 September 1919. Average flying speed of the two-seater (later converted to four-seater) single-engine Avro biplanes was 70 mph, and the 50-mile flight was generally completed in a little under the hour. A total of 8,730 route miles were flown that summer and 194 out of 222 scheduled flights completed at fares of 2 guineas single and 4 guineas return.
The first INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE SERVICE was instituted between Paris and Brussels on a weekly schedule by Lignes Aeriennes Farman on 22 March 1919. The pilot of the Farman F.60 Goliath used was M. Bossoutrot, flying time 2 hr 50 min, and the fare 365 francs.
The first international airline service out of Britain, and the first in the world on a daily schedule, began with Air Transport & Travel’s 9.10 a.m. flight from London (Hounslow) to Paris (Le Bourget) on 25 August 1919. A converted DH4a biplane bomber piloted by Lt E.H. Lawford carried newspapers, a consignment of leather, several brace of grouse, some jars of Devonshire cream and George Stevenson-Reece, who paid a single fare of £21 for the 2+ hr journey. The cost of travelling by rail and boat to Paris at this date was £3 8s 5d.
The first INTERCONTINENTAL AIRLINE SERVICE was operated by Lignes Aeriennes Latecoere, which began flying Breguet 14 s on the Toulouse—Barcelona—Tangier route on 1 September 1919, with an extension to Casablanca from April 1920.
On the American continent the first airline to start operations after World Was I was the S. des T.A. Guyanais of French Guiana in November 1919.
