The Aero Espresso Italiana, called also AEI and Aeroespresso del Levante, was the first airline of the Kingdom of Italy. It was created as a private company for the route Brindisi-Athens-Istanbul; later a second route to Rhodes was addedMap with the two routes of AEI
History
The airline company, founded in Rome in December 1923, was operating with flights only from 1926. It was based in Rome and worked, as was customary in the period, with services of passenger transport and international air mail in the 1920s and early 1930s.
In the early 1930s Aero Espresso Italiana had two flights toward eastern Europe:Flight magazine Brindisi – Athens – Istanbul/CostantinopoleFirst flight Brindis-Athens-Istanbul Brindisi – Athens – Rodi
The AEI used mainly the flying boats Savoia 55, but also the Macchi 24bis and Dornier.Flying magazine; p.15
The AEI remained active until its absorption, in 1934, by the national airline Ala Littoria (that was formed by a merger of Società Aerea Mediterranea (SAM), Società Anonima Navigazione Aerea (SANA), Società Italiana Servizi Aerei (SISA) and Aero Espresso Italiana).
References
Further reading
Bibliography Flying Magazine. May 1929. 112 pages; Vol. 4, No. 5 ISSN 0015-4806 Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. various authors, Le Ali della Rondine (in Italian language), I.T.A.C.A., Roma, 1992 L. Caliaro, Signori a bordo (in Italian language), Luckyplane, 2019,
See also
List of defunct airlines of Italy Ala Littoria Società Anonima Navigazione Aerea