Airmail – First official stamps & regular routes

AIRMAIL – First official stamps & regular routes

everything about pioneer aviation & when possible commemorative stamps that have been issued

first official stamps
first rocket mail stamps
first semi-officials and special flights
first regular route establishment

Some over lap with the pioneer flights & experiments. This section focuses on long term routes.

OFFICIAL AIRMAIL STAMPS & ROUTES

First official airmail deliveries and stamp usage that led to regular delivery.
List established routes when available.
Commemorative stamps when available.
Primarily looking at long term, regular and official airmail routes

Country	Official route established	Commemorative Stamp	1st Airmail Stamp release	Official Airmail Stamp	Details & articles

Argentina			Feb. 29, 1928 Used on the inaugural Latecoere Airline that Connected Argentina with Europe, by way of Africa. Design: Airplane over Globe Designer: G. D. Coca

Australia	December 5, 1921 Western Australian Route 1193 Miles ROUTE: Geraldton and Derby, which took around three days, with stops at Carnarvon, Onslow, Roebourne, Port Headland and Broome PILOTS: Pilots Charles Kingsford 'Smithy' Smith, Len Taplin, Bob Fawcett, Arthur Blake & Val Abbott Fawcett and his mechanic Lieutenant Broad were killed in a flight accident The RAAF was originally slated to fly this route but during a cabinet meeting on May 17, 1921, then acting PM Sir Joseph Cook decided an open bid by private contractors would be better. The first regular airmail contract was awarded to Western Australian Airways, owned and operated by the legendary Norman Brealey (1890–1989). By June 1, 1922, this route became a regular service.	Designer: Lynda Warner 2021
Australia	Nov. 2, 1922, extended Feb 7, 1925 Central Queensland ROUTE: Charleville-Longreach-Clomcurry, later expanded to include Camooweal and Normanton DISTANCE: 1730 km /1075 miles Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd (QUANTUS) were awarded contract, Founded by Hudson Fysh and Paul McGuinness
Australia	June 4, 1924 Return flight June 7-8, 1924 ROUTE: Adelaide to Sidney Return route included stops at Cootamundra, Narrandera, Hay, Mildura and South Australia and took until June 8th. DISTANCE: 1255 km / 780 miles The Larkin Sopwith Aircraft Supply Co. Ltd. of Melbourne were awarded the contract AIRCRAFT: Sopwith Wallaby biplane named "The Bower Bird" PILOTS: Briggs and mechanic A. Butler flew first half Adelaide to Hay. Pilot Sunders flew second half from Sunders to Sidney Sopwith Wallaby courtesy https://airscapemag.com/2019/05/20/going-by-air-part-4/
Australia	July 21, 1925 ROUTE: Melbourne to Adelaide \| Melbourne to Sydney broken into a couple of routes DISTANCE: Adelaide to Cootamundra, by way of Mildura and Hay Narrandera 930 km / 578 miles. Once a week flight Needs a bit more research on pilots and stops The Larkin Sopwith Aircraft Supply Co. Ltd. of Melbourne were awarded the contract under the name Australian Aerial Services


Canada	December 25, 1927 ROUTE: La Malbaie to Sept-Îles, Quebec PILOT: Roméo Vachon (1998-1954) flying a Fairchild FC-2W for Canadian Transcontinental Airways. Vachon previously flew for Laurentide Air Service. Mail bags were dropped from the aircraft by parachute & local postmaster would retrieve the bags. ** although mail was being delivered by bush pilot flights beginning in 1924, the first official delivery by the Post Office didn't begin until 1927 with the first airmail stamp issued the following year. These early flights are considered semi-officials.				Canada's First airmail delivery
Canada			Sept. 21, 1928 Regular airmail issue First used September 22, 1928 on the new Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal-Rimouski Route. Design: Allegory of Flight Designer: ** although mail was being delivered by bush pilot flights beginning in 1924, the first official delivery by the Post Office didn't begin until 1927 with the first airmail stamp issued the following year. These early flights are considered semi-officials.
Canada			Aug. 29, 1918 Semi official Design: Biplanes shooting down a Zeppelin	Aero Club of Canada 1918	For flights btw Ottawa and Toronto Issued by AeroClub of Canada with cooperation of Minister of Posts
Canada			Aug, 1924 Laurentide Service Semi Official Design: Laurentide's bush plane against a sunset	Laurentide CL1 Canada	1st official bush plane flight to northern area. Used on the Haileybuy-Rouyn route

International: England to Australia
InternationalLondon to Athens (new route)	Nov 2, 1930 ROUTE: London to Athens with stops at Vienna-Belgrade-Scopia-Salonica and then to Athens. This route traveled along the Balkans, replacing the older London-Basle- Genoa- Rome-Naples-Corfu -Athens route	First delivery arrived Nov 6, 1930 One report says 32 letters were delivered, but doesn't say whether they were London to Athens and what other mail was dropped off between the two main destinations. RETURN flight Nov 9, 1930 with 103 letters, including 73 registered. All postmarked Nov. 8
International Greece to Iran (Persia	March 26, 1930 Athens to Bushire south Iran and Tehran Only the Bushire mail bag was delivered. So this leg of the route was a first mail delivery. The Tehran bound one was dropped off at Baghdad and forwarded from there.	Imperial Airways 58 letters were delivered to Bushire and 46 to Tehran.

India	1932 by J. R. D. Tata. Company later became Air India		Nov. 1, 1929 1st used Nov 12, 1929 Design: KGVI & Ensign Whitworth plane		For use on routes btw India and GB.
India			Sept. 30, 1934 Design: rocket in flight		Pioneered by Stephen Smith 3 Rocket mail stamps & explosive packed tubes

Japan			Oct 3, 1919 overprint		For Tokyo to Osaka line. Oct. 3 Flight was canceled because of bad weather. Mail was sent by rail. Second flight arranged for Oct. 20 and cancelled for bad weather. Successful flight made October 22. A full return flight was made.

Mexico			Apr. 2, 1922

Peru			Dec 10, 1927 oveprint Servicio Aereo

United States
United States	May 15, 1918 218 miles Route: NYC - Philadelphia- Washington, DC.		Dec. 10, 1918 Design: Curtis Jenny in flight (famous Inverted Jenny)