On January 1, 1914, the inaugural flight of the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line demonstrated the aeroplane as a viable means of commercial transportation as the world's first regularly scheduled commercial airline. Piloted by Tony H. Jannus, the Benoist Type XIV airboat departed from the St. Petersburg Central Yacht Basin for Tampa, carrying freight and one passenger across Tampa Bay and beginning service of two round-trips daily between St. Petersburg and Tampa. Supported by the St. Petersburg Board of Trade and including a flight school, the airline maintained regular operation until its last official flight on May 5, 1914.