The first regular transport airline

It was on January 1, 1914 when the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat (SPT) became the first company in the world to offer a regular air transport service. The first regular transport service was between St. Petersburg (Florida) and Tampa, crossing Tampa Bay.

These two cities were two hours by boat, twenty hours by car and four to twelve hours by train.

On December 17, 1913 SPT Airboat signed a three-month contract with the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, by which the Chamber of Commerce guaranteed the payment of costs to the airline even if it did not cover the costs. expenses.

On the day of the inaugural flight, 3,000 people gathered to watch it live. The air transport was done in air boats. The model chosen was a Benoist XIV with a length of 13 meters and a maximum speed of 103 km/h. These aircraft reached an altitude above the surface of the bay of approximately 1.5 meters and the journey was made in about 23 minutes.

The first air cargo transport was a packet of newspapers from the St. Petersburg Times. And the fees will you ask? $ 5.00 per 100 pounds (approx. 45Kg)