The real pleasure
of traveling,
together.

S.A.I.S. (Servizi Automobilistici Ingegnere Scelfo) was born from a simple yet powerful intuition: bringing people closer together. Giving shape to that idea was Antonio Scelfo, a visionary engineer who, in 1926, identified a concrete need within his community: connecting Enna to its railway station and, from there, to the rest of Sicily through a new bus transport service.

After studying in Palermo and Turin and gaining important experience in Somalia, Antonio chose to return and invest in his homeland. He did not hesitate: he imagined, built and set things in motion. This is how I.A.S. was born, becoming S.A.I.S. in 1950.

In this image, we see him together with his most trusted collaborators, including workshop manager Dante Ferrari, as they purchase the highly modern Fiat 635 RNL buses, cutting-edge vehicles for their time. It is the beginning of a journey made of running engines, hard-working hands and a shared vision. At the “rilievu,” the heart of the company, a dream began to take shape — one that still continues to move people and stories today.

Behind every great enterprise, there are always people. Antonio Scelfo, born in 1892 in Villarosa, was a curious, cultured and deeply generous man, capable of combining technical expertise with great humanity. His life was marked by study, commitment and constant care for others: family, collaborators and the community. He loved poetry, books and knowledge, which he saw as tools for understanding the world more deeply.

Beside him in the image is Giovanna Scelfo, born in 1909 in Giarre. A sensitive and determined woman, a musician by passion, with a genuine bond to art and to life. Their meeting in 1931 gave rise to a story built on respect, mutual understanding and a shared vision.

In 1949, after Antonio’s passing, Giovanna took up his legacy. With five children and a company to lead, she chose to move forward with courage and clarity. She became one of the first businesswomen of her time, leading S.A.I.S. with determination, balance and foresight. In her, that same original strength lived on: the strength of someone who believes in people and in the value of the future.

Every story has a place that preserves its origins. For S.A.I.S., that place is “u rilivu,” the beating heart of the company. In this 1931 image, among the earliest buses such as the Fiat 614, you can feel the beginning of a journey shaped by daily work and ingenuity.

It is here that Antonio observes, coordinates and builds. It is here that workshop manager Dante Ferrari takes care of the vehicles. And it is here that the first routes are born, designed to answer a simple and profound need: connecting people to their lives, their work and their loved ones.

From this place, a branch off Piazza Vittorio Emanuele — today Piazza Scelfo — a vision began to take shape, one destined to grow over time. Not just buses, but relationships. Not just routes, but community. The company’s first main lines were six: Enna–Calascibetta Scalo (1927), Piazza Armerina–Enna (1935), Alimena–Enna (1935), Regalbuto–Enna (1938), Enna–Caltanissetta (1943) and Aidone–Enna (1948). A network of connections that, step by step, began to shape a Sicily that was closer together.

As early as the 1930s, S.A.I.S. looked beyond simple everyday transport. In 1938, the first Grand Touring services were launched: travel became an opportunity for discovery, sharing and wonder.

Sicily opened itself before travellers in all its beauty: Lake Pergusa, Mount Etna, the cities, the sea. These were not just destinations, but shared experiences that would remain in memory. Antonio Scelfo understood from the very beginning that travelling was not only about moving from one place to another, but about encountering the world and the people along the way.

In this image, a Fiat 618 is ready to depart from the belvedere of Enna. It is not just a bus: it is an invitation to leave, to discover, to share memories. A principle that still guides every rental service today: accompanying people in the important moments of their lives.

Enna is the starting point of the entire S.A.I.S. story, and it is right here that a new awareness takes shape: it is not enough to connect places, you must enter people’s daily lives.

Until then, the company had built a network of interurban connections across Sicily. Then the focus moved closer: travelling along city streets, crossing its main roads, accompanying citizens to the places that shape their everyday lives — schools, hospitals and businesses. It was a natural step, guided by the same vision as always: providing a service with real social value.

In 1951, the first S.A.I.S. Urban Service was launched in the city of Enna. It marked the beginning of an even closer presence, made up of everyday gestures and short journeys that became part of people’s lives. Just a few minutes by bus were enough to reach loved ones, work and daily commitments.

The first urban line was the “Ente Fiera – Lombardia”, commonly known as Line 80. It departed from today’s Piazza Europa, then home to the livestock fair, crossed the city and reached the Castello di Lombardia, passing through symbolic places such as Via Roma and Piazza San Tommaso. A route that still tells the story of the deep bond between S.A.I.S. and the everyday life of the city.

S.A.I.S. has always been more than a company: it is a community. A place where work intertwines with relationships, and where people have always represented the most important value.

Among its most heartfelt traditions is the S.A.I.S. Epiphany celebration, held from 1959 to 1974. Every 6 January, the workshop filled with voices, smiles and children. Employees brought their families, children received a gift, and the workplace was transformed into a space of genuine togetherness.

This 1960 image tells that story: simplicity, closeness and belonging. Because, from the very beginning, the real engine of S.A.I.S. has been its people.

Between the 1970s and the 1990s, S.A.I.S. grew through a series of acquisitions that transformed the company into an extensive network serving Sicily. It was not only expansion: it was the meeting of stories, people and territories coming together in a single direction.

1977 - Lumia (Agrigento)
The acquisition of Lumia brought 45 employees and strengthened S.A.I.S.’s presence in Agrigento with key urban and interurban services for the area.

1978 - ISTA (Madonie, Palermo)
With ISTA, 15 employees joined the company and services in the inland Madonie area were strengthened.

1978 - Etna Trasporti (Etna area)
A strategic acquisition that consolidated connections between the Etna area, the Ionian coast and Catania.

1978 - SAE (Palermo)
With 10 employees, S.A.I.S. strengthened its presence in the regional capital and in interurban connections.

1978 - Cantarero (Regalbuto)
An essential service for the inland areas between Regalbuto, Agira and Nicosia.

1980 - SAP (Pachino and south-eastern Sicily)
With 29 employees, the network expanded into south-eastern Sicily, connecting the coast with major cities such as Syracuse and Catania.

1981 - SETAC (Mussomeli)
An important presence for the inland Caltanissetta area and its links with Caltanissetta.

1983 - SAA (Francavilla di Sicilia)
31 employees strengthened the Taormina area and integration with Etna Trasporti.

1986 - Pagano (Randazzo)
A contribution to local connections in the Etna area.

1986 - Bozzanca (Syracuse)
A strategic service towards Catania Airport, essential for mobility and tourism.

1988 - Rao (Alì Superiore)
Connected eastern Sicily between Alì, Taormina and Messina.

1988 - Gallo (Belice Valley)
With 30 buses and 31 employees, S.A.I.S. decisively strengthened its presence in the Palermo area and the Belice Valley.

1990 - Condorelli (Santa Caterina Villarmosa)
A key connection between central Sicily and Catania.

1992 - Alavit
A symbolic acquisition that definitively consolidated S.A.I.S. as an integrated network, capable of bringing together different experiences into a single vision: a Sicily that moves together.

The year marked a turning point in the growth of S.A.I.S.: the company identified an increasingly important need — connecting Sicily with the rest of Italy through direct, reliable and continuous services. For students, workers and families, Rome was no longer just a distant destination, but a real connection.

This led to the launch of the first interregional Sicily–Rome service: a long and demanding journey, designed to reduce distances and bring people closer to their opportunities.

Driving this new route were drivers Giuseppe Caccamo and Giuseppe Stompo, together with Tanino La Iacona from the Operations Department. With experience and deep knowledge of the territory, they defined the route in an era when travel relied on paper maps, attentiveness and the direct responsibility of those behind the wheel.

The first trip was made on a Fiat 370 12-35, a symbol of its era in road transport. The first 29 passengers experienced this journey as something new and extraordinary: not just a trip, but the concrete opening of a connection between two worlds.

This first journey was not merely a route: it was a symbol. The beginning of a real bridge between Sicily and the rest of Italy, built with commitment, courage and trust in the future.

After seventy years of history, in 1996 S.A.I.S. was restructured into three independent entities: SAIS Autolinee, SAIS Viaggi and SAIS Trasporti.

It was a natural step in the company’s growth: like a child who, having reached maturity, continues along its own path while carrying the legacy of its family.

SAIS Autolinee thus opened a new chapter under the leadership of Francesca Scelfo, together with her sons Vincenzo and Antonio Graffagnini. With responsibility and continuity, they safeguard the values built over time every day and turn them into concrete choices oriented towards the future.

1996 marks a conscious rebirth: the evolution of a story built on trust, innovation and strong human values.

SAIS Autolinee thus became the direct heir to a family and entrepreneurial journey, also recognisable through its red buses — symbols of constant presence and reliability on the roads of Sicily.

In this new structure, the work of Francesca, Antonio and Vincenzo is based on shared management, daily dialogue, common decisions and a strong sense of responsibility. Their commitment, together with the precious contribution of all employees, gives shape every day to something that goes beyond work: a family.

SAIS Autolinee is, today as then, a family business rooted in the values of unity, trust and collaboration. A story that continues to move every day along the roads of Sicily, like a journey that never stops, but keeps looking ahead.

More than seventy years after the birth of its urban service, SAIS Autolinee continues to grow while remaining true to its vocation: being part of people’s everyday lives.

Over time, this presence has extended to many Sicilian municipalities — from Enna to Syracuse, Augusta, Modica, Scicli, Milazzo and Gela — building a network that evolves together with the territories and communities that experience it every day.

But growth is not only about places: above all, it is about people. More and more women are choosing to drive SAIS Autolinee buses, bringing competence, professionalism and new perspectives. It is a tangible change that reflects a company that is more open, inclusive and attentive to talent in all its forms.

Alongside this comes technological innovation: passenger information systems, digital tools and integrated solutions make the service increasingly accessible, efficient and responsive to passengers’ needs. Today, moving also means being informed in real time and accompanied throughout every stage of the journey.

In this image, a woman standing in front of a SAIS Autolinee bus represents all of this: the present and the future of a company that continues to place people at the centre, accompanying them every day towards new destinations.

Every day, SAIS Autolinee works to make travel simpler, more accessible and more reliable, putting people, local areas and the value of the connections that link them at the heart of everything we do.

Combining established experience with digital innovation, our commitment continues with solutions designed to support every stage of the journey, from planning to daily travel, with services that are increasingly convenient, efficient and tailored to passengers’ needs.

For SAIS Autolinee, looking ahead means continuing to grow without losing sight of what really matters: service quality, a focus on people and the ability to respond effectively to the mobility needs of today and tomorrow.