The first commercial flight took place on January 1, 1914, when a Benoist XIV biplane flew from St. Petersburg to Tampa in Florida. Operated by the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, this historic flight was a short journey, covering a distance of approximately 21 miles. The flight carried a single passenger, who paid $400 for the trip, an extravagant sum equivalent to thousands today. This event marked the beginning of the commercial aviation industry, setting the stage for the development of air travel as a viable mode of transportation for people and goods around the world.