Before Airports: When Seaplanes Connected Greece to Europe
- Gary Fradelos
- 36 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Today, flying from Athens to Italy takes little more than an hour. Modern airports, jet aircraft and advanced navigation systems have transformed international travel into something we often take for granted.
A century ago, however, Greece faced a very different reality.
The country had almost no modern airports capable of handling scheduled international flights. Building long runways was expensive and, in many places, simply impractical. Instead, aviation pioneers turned to a resource Greece had in abundance: the sea.
For a brief but remarkable period in the 1920s, the waters of Falero Bay served as Athens’ international “airport,” as flying boats connected Greece with Italy and Constantinople (now Istanbul), opening one of the region’s earliest international air routes.
When the Sea Became the Runway
On 1 August 1926, the Italian airline Aero Espresso Italiana (AEI) inaugurated the Brindisi–Athens–Constantinople route, one of the first scheduled international air services linking Greece with the rest of Europe.
Instead of conventional aircraft, the airline operated large flying boats that could take off from and land directly on water. It was an ingenious solution for an era when suitable airports were scarce and coastlines offered natural runways.
Passengers travelling to Athens didn’t arrive at a terminal building. Their journey ended in Falero Bay, where the aircraft landed on the sea before being moored close to shore. From there, passengers were transferred by small boats, making the experience feel as much like a maritime voyage as an airline journey.
The Flying Boats That Opened the Mediterranean
The route was initially operated by the remarkable Savoia-Marchetti S.55, one of the most distinctive aircraft ever built.
With its twin hulls, engines mounted above the wing and unmistakable silhouette, the S.55 became an icon of early aviation. Later, the route was also served by the Dornier Wal, another pioneering flying boat designed for long overwater flights.
These aircraft carried passengers, mail and cargo, helping strengthen commercial and cultural links between Italy, Greece and Turkey at a time when international air travel was still in its infancy.
Flying Was an Adventure
Travelling by air in the 1920s was a very different experience from today’s commercial flights.
Aircraft flew lower, cabins were noisier and far less comfortable, while weather played a much greater role in determining whether a flight could operate. Calm seas were just as important as clear skies, and schedules were often shaped by nature rather than strict timetables.
Although these flying boats represented the latest aviation technology of their time, they lacked the sophisticated navigation systems, weather forecasting and safety features modern pilots rely on today. Flying was considered both innovative and adventurous, attracting passengers eager to experience one of the world’s newest forms of transport.
A Forgotten Chapter of Greek Aviation
The era of international seaplane services lasted less than a decade before conventional land airports gradually replaced water aerodromes. As aircraft technology evolved and runways became more common, flying boats slowly disappeared from scheduled passenger operations.
Their legacy, however, remains remarkable.
Long before Athens International Airport welcomed millions of travellers each year, Greece was already connected to Europe through an innovative network of seaplane routes that transformed the sea into a runway.
It’s a little-known chapter of aviation history—one that reminds us that before airports became the gateways we know today, the Mediterranean itself was helping bring nations closer together.
Sources
Aero Espresso Italiana – English Wikipedia
Brundisium.net – The First Italian International Civil Air Route
(Brindisi–Athens–Constantinople)
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