Italy witnessed the start of a new chapter in history this week following the first flight of ITA Airways. This event was the latest in a series of twists and turns that the country’s air travel market has gone through over the last century. With this latest move, let’s take a brief look at the history of Italian aviation.

Slow start

Unlike several European nations, Italy was late to the commercial aviation party. It had its hands in military projects but didn’t initially take the leap in the civil sector until the 1920s.