Historic Seaplane Flight Venice–Lussino (Lošinj) on 13 June 2026
In a nutshell: On 13 June 2026, after around a hundred years, a seaplane (Italian: idrovolante) will once again take off on the historic Adriatic route Venice–Lussino (Croatian Lošinj). Departure is at 3:30pm from Aeroporto Nicelli on the Lido, with honorary loops planned over the island of Lošinj from about 4:45pm. It is a one-off commemorative flight as part of the “L’Ammiraglia” regatta — not a new scheduled service, but an atmospheric piece of Adriatic aviation history.
It is a journey into the past: on Saturday, 13 June 2026, a historic seaplane will fly from Venice across the Adriatic to Lussino — a route served almost a hundred years ago by the pioneers of civil aviation. The flight is part of the European regatta “L’Ammiraglia 2026 Venezia–Rovigno–Lussino” and recalls a time when seaplanes connected northern Italy, Istria and the Kvarner Gulf.
The flight on 13 June 2026
- Departure: 3:30pm from Aeroporto Nicelli on the Lido di Venezia — one of the oldest airfields in Italy.
- Arrival: over Lussino (Lošinj) in the Kvarner Gulf, with honorary loops over the town from about 4:45pm.
- Aircraft & crew: the “L’Ammiraglia”, the only seaplane currently licensed for commercial flights in Italy, flown by the brothers Ivano and Astellio Boscolo Bielo.
- Escort: a second historic aircraft of the Junkers type, with a fly-past over Rovinj (Rovigno) in Istria.
Why this is a piece of history
In the 1920s and 1930s, SISA (Società Italiana Servizi Aerei) was one of the pioneers of civil seaplane traffic over the upper Adriatic. It was founded by the Cosulich brothers, who came from Lussino; their seaplanes connected northern Italy with Istria, the Kvarner Gulf and Dalmatia — long before asphalt runways and scheduled flights took over travel. The 2026 flight brings exactly this route back to life: from the Lido, whose Aeroporto Nicelli has existed since the dawn of aviation, across to the Kvarner island of Lošinj.
For travellers: what you should know
An important note for context: this is a one-off commemorative and event flight, not a new bookable air connection. If you want to travel from Venice or the Adriatic to Istria and the Kvarner Gulf, you still use the established routes — for example the catamaran connections from Istria or the boat trip from Poreč. The historic flight itself is best experienced as a spectator: from the Lido you can watch the take-off, and along the regatta route the seaplane is a rare sight.