When Air Canada Had Its Own Food Trucks: The Forgotten Era of In-House Catering at Pearson Airport

Before airline catering became dominated by large outside companies, there was a time when Air Canada was much more self-sufficient. At airports like Toronto Pearson, the airline had its own catering operations, its own kitchens, and its own fleet of catering trucks that played an important role in getting passengers fed at 35,000 feet.

For many longtime Air Canada employees, those familiar white and red catering vehicles were just another part of the daily rhythm on the ramp.

The Airport Kitchen Behind the Scenes

In the golden age of airline travel, food service was a major part of the passenger experience. Flying was not just about getting from one city to another — it was an event.

Passengers boarding an Air Canada DC-8, Boeing 727, L-1011 TriStar, or 747 expected a full meal service, and behind every meal was a massive operation happening on the ground.

At airports such as Toronto Pearson, Air Canada operated large catering facilities where thousands of meals were prepared every day. The kitchens produced everything from hot meals and salads to desserts, snacks, and special-request meals.

The food was then loaded into special airline catering trucks that delivered the meals directly to the aircraft.

The “Food Trucks” of the Ramp

To the public, they looked like large delivery vehicles. To ramp workers, they were part of the airport family.

These high-lift catering trucks would pull up beside the aircraft and raise their platform to the aircraft doors. Catering crews would then load and unload meal carts, beverage containers, and supplies.

On a busy international departure, several trucks could be working around one aircraft at the same time:

• Catering truck servicing the forward galley
• Baggage loaders working below
• Fuel trucks topping up the aircraft
• Cabin cleaning crews preparing the interior
• Ramp agents coordinating the entire turnaround

Every minute counted. A delay in one area could affect hundreds of passengers.

The Smell of the Ramp

Anyone who worked around the aircraft in those days remembers the smells of the ramp — jet fuel, hydraulic fluid, exhaust, and sometimes the unmistakable aroma of freshly prepared airline meals coming from the catering trucks.

A ramp worker could often tell what was happening before seeing it:

“The L-1011 is getting ready for departure — I can smell the coffee and breakfast carts coming.”

A Different Era of Airline Service

During the 1970s and 1980s, airline meals were a source of pride. Airlines competed on service, and food was part of their identity.

Air Canada’s catering operation supported a huge network of flights. Whether it was breakfast heading to Vancouver, dinner service bound for Europe, or special meals for international routes, everything had to be prepared with precision.

The catering department was like an airport within the airport — hundreds of employees working behind the scenes.

Ramp Crews and the Catering Teams

The ramp was a world where every department depended on each other.

Baggage crews needed the catering trucks out of their way. Catering crews needed aircraft access. Cabin crews needed the meals loaded before passengers boarded.

There was plenty of good-natured teasing between departments:

“The ramp thinks they run the airport… until they need coffee on a 6 a.m. departure.”

But everyone understood that every job mattered.

The End of an Era

Over time, airlines began changing how they handled food services. Cost pressures, restructuring, and outsourcing led many carriers to move away from operating their own catering divisions.

The familiar Air Canada catering trucks eventually became less common as specialized airline catering companies took over much of the work.

For newer airport employees, airline catering may just be another contractor on the ramp. But for veterans, those trucks represented a different time — when airlines controlled more of their own operations and when thousands of employees proudly wore the same company colours.

Memories Written on the Ramp

The old Air Canada catering trucks were more than vehicles. They were part of the airport landscape.

They were there during the days of the DC-8, L-1011, 747, and early Airbus aircraft. They rolled across the concrete during snowstorms, heat waves, and overnight shifts.

For the people who worked the ramp, they were part of the soundtrack of aviation history.

Because airports are not just made of runways and terminals.

They are made of the people, the machines, and the memories that kept them moving.

And for many Air Canada veterans, the sight of those catering trucks still brings back the taste of an era when flying was a little different — and the airport felt like one big family.