Air Canada's Rapidair Shuttle Services

Launched in 1972 to link Toronto and Montreal, Air Canada's Rapidair now includes Ottawa. Rapidair was where Air Canada debuted their Boeing 727s.

Air Canada launched its Rapidair services between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa (sometimes referred to as the "Eastern Triangle") in 1972. There were hourly departures with every 30 minute departures during peak times. Rapidair was the Canadian counterpart to the American Airlines and Delta Air Lines Shuttles in the US Northeast. The flight time between Toronto and Montreal is about one hour 15 minutes.

The first Rapidair services were flown by DC-9 Series 30 aircraft between Toronto and Montreal, Ottawa was added later on.

There were dedicated gates and departure lounges for Rapidair passengers. In 1974, Air Canada introduced the Boeing 727-200 on the Rapidair services with an all-economy cabin with 144 seats. In fact, the first Air Canada Boeing 727 services were Rapidair. It was the only time Rapidair had dedicated aircraft.

More recently, Air Canada doesn't have dedicated aircraft for Rapidair. The joke is that if Air Canada flies it, it can do Rapidair. It's also way to reposition widebody aircraft to either Toronto or Montreal. Air Canada's last Boeing 767-300 flight was actually a Rapidair flight from Montreal to Toronto. When Air Canada introduced the 787, it was flown heavily on Rapidair services as it was a quick way for new crews to get experience on the aircraft.

Many other airlines have tried to compete with Air Canada's Rapidair services but it is a prized market for the airline. There is a joke in the Canadian airline industry that the Eastern Triangle of Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal is the "Bermuda Triangle" of the Canadian airline industry where smaller carriers have gone into to take on Air Canada and disappeared.