During World War I, the Orlando government established the General Commissariat for Aeronautics (Italian: Commissariato generale per l'aeronautica) at the Ministry of Arms and Munitions (Italian: Ministero delle armi e munizioni) with Lieutenant Legislative Decree Number 1813 on 1 November 1917, and Eugenio Chiesa, a member of the Chamber of Deputies, was appointed commissioner that day.

[1] In December 1917, the Ministry of Arms and Munitions established the General Directorate of Aviation (Italian: Direzione generale di aviazione) under Colonel Giulio Douhet, but Douhet soon had a falling out with Chiesa and left the directorate in April 1918.

On 30 June 1919, the general management of aeronautics was transferred to the Ministry of Maritime and Railway Transport (Italian: Ministero dei trasporti marittimi e ferroviari).

Aldo Finzi served as deputy commissioner[2] and prepared the legislative provisions necessary for the establishment of both the Ministry of Aeronautics and an independent air force.

Riccardi also departed in 1933, and Mussolini resumed the previous practice of appointing a senior Regia Aeronautica officer to serve as secretary of state and handle the ministry's daily management.

It consists of the historic Palazzo dell'Aeronautica, designed in 1929 by engineer Roberto Marino and opened in 1931.