First Scheduled Airline Passenger Service

On January 1, 1914, the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line began operations in Florida, inaugurating the world's first scheduled airline service carrying fare-paying passengers. The line connected St. Petersburg and Tampa across the waters of Tampa Bay, a journey that took roughly twenty minutes by air compared with hours by land or boat.

The airline flew Benoist flying boats designed by Thomas Benoist, with pilot Tony Jannus at the controls for the inaugural flight. The first paying passenger, former St. Petersburg mayor Abram Pheil, won the seat at auction, and the aircraft carried a single passenger at a time alongside the pilot.

Although the venture operated for only a few months before financial pressures ended it, the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line holds a permanent place in history as the first attempt at regular commercial air transport. It demonstrated that aviation could serve ordinary travelers and pointed the way toward the vast airline industry that would follow.