BENGALURU: The Karnataka Postal Circle celebrated World Air Mail Day on Tuesday by issuing a special cancellation to mark the day. The world’s first postal delivery by flight happened in India on February 18, 1911 in Uttar Pradesh during the Kumbh Mela at that time.
The 114th anniversary of the historic event was celebrated at the GPO.
Chief Postmaster General S Rajendra Kumar told TNIE, “The first mail by air covered 9.7 km, from Allahabad (now Pragyaraj) to Naini Junction, a railway station located within the city.
The Humber-Sommer flight, steered by French national, Henri Pequet, carried 6,500 pieces of mail and took 27 minutes to complete the trip.” It was only after the success of this pioneering initiative that other countries adopted air mail.
The Indian Postal department issued a special souvenir sheet in 2011, featuring a stamp and a miniature sheet, he added.
For philatelists and stamp collectors, this event marks a significant milestone, an official release said.