Flight of the Impero

Flight of the Impero (in Italian Linea dell'Impero) was the longest flight done in Africa by Ala Littoria, the pre-war national airline of Italy. In the years before World War II it was considered the most important route of the Italian civil aviation in the Mussolini's colonies.

History

The route was created in 1936 in order to unite in the fastest way the newly created Italian Empire in eastern Africa with the Kingdom of Italy. It lasted until 1941, when the Allies conquered the Italian East Africa.

The "Linea dell'Impero" in the years preceding World War II was considered the most prestigious Italian air route of the time. It connected Rome with Mogadiscio in Italian East Africa, and from 1939 the route could be travelled without a change of airplane.

Initially the flight reached only Addis Abeba in Italian Ethiopia, but the route was soon enlarged until Italian Somalia: in 1940 it was Rome-Benghazi-Cairo-Karthoum-Asmara-Addis Abeba-Mogadiscio.

Route

Carrier logo of the "Linea dell'Impero"

The line was inaugurated after the Italian conquest of Ethiopia, and was followed by the first air links with the Italian colony of Italian East Africa, that were started in a pioneering way since 1934. The route reached up to 6,379 km and initially joined Rome with Addis Ababa via Syracuse, Benghazi, Cairo, Wadi Halfa, Khartoum, Kassala, Asmara and Dire Dawa. This route was done with a change of aircraft in Benghazi, from a seaplane to a Savoia-Marchetti S 73. The route was done in three and a half days of daytime flight and the frequency was four flights a week in both directions. From Addis Ababa or Dire Dawa there were three flights a week continued until Mogadishu, the Italian Somalia capital.

Tickets

In 1938 the fare from Rome to Addis Ababa was six thousand Italian liras and the return ticket allowed a discount of 20%. The ticket price included the transport of baggage up to 20 kg, transfer to and from the airports costs, meals and overnight stays in the best hotels near the airports of Benghazi, Wadi Halfa and Asmara.

Aircraft

The Flight of the Impero was opened using the three-engined seaplanes Cant Z.506 in the stretch Rome – Benghazi and the Savoia-Marchetti S.73 from Benghazi to Addis Ababa.

In 1938 entered service the fastest Savoia-Marchetti S.75, with greater autonomy, capable of carrying a load of mail and up to twenty-four passengers. This state-of-the-art aircraft was used from the beginning of 1939 and allowed to eliminate the change of aircraft, to reduce the number of stopovers and shorten the travel time of a full day.

Bibliography

  • Guida dell'Africa Orientale. C.T.I. Milano ed 1938
  • Caprotti, Federico. Visuality, Hybridity, and Colonialism: Imagining Ethiopia Through Colonial Aviation, 1935–1940. Annals of the Association of American Geographers; 101:2, 380–403. Publisher Routledge. University of Plymouth, 2011
  • Enzo Angelucci e Paolo Matricardi. Aerei di tutto il Mondo. A. Mondadori editore Milano 1978
  • Vincenzo Meleca, Le linee aeree dell'Africa Orientale Italiana, (1)