Cabin crew pushing service cart and serve to customer on the airplane during flight (Credits: Getty Images)

Love it or hate it, a complimentary box of aeroplane food at least keeps you occupied on board a flight.

But now, passengers on one European airline may no longer be afforded the luxury. 

Air France has announced it will test out a new buy-on-board system for food and drinks on some of its short and medium-haul journeys from 2025. 

The airline currently has an advantage over other European carriers, like Ryanair or EasyJet, by offering a free sandwich, pastry and drink on most of its economy flights, depending on their duration.

They also have the option to purchase a la carte meals when booking up to 24 hours before departure which includes a starter, main and dessert.

Air France say that with the new buy-on-board system, more hot food options will be available. And, passengers won’t starve completely – the in-flight service will still offer free beverages, from tea or coffee to water, and a ‘sweet cookie’ on flights over two and a half hours, Air France told USA Today in a statement. 

There’s nothing like free food to break up a long flight (Credits: Gerard Bottino/ Getty Images)

The buy-on-board system will initially be introduced on Air France’s routes from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Helsinki and Lisbon, but it could be expanded across the network. Customers on affected flights will be notified in advance of their departure.

Business Class passengers will not be affected by the change, and will still receive a free in-flight meal alongside a selection of hot and cold drinks and alcoholic beverages. 

Introducing a fee would allow the airline to expand its on-board food offerings, according to the Dutch media outlet Luchtvaartnieuws. 

It is unconfirmed whether the change will result in cheaper flight fares for passengers. 

‘Air France is constantly studying opportunities to develop its offer, in order to meet customer expectations as effectively as possible, in line with market trends,’ an Air France spokesperson told USA Today about the upcoming change.

Air France is not the only airline to scrap complimentary food, its sister airline, KLM, the flag carrier of the Netherlands, is undergoing a similar trial to phase out free meals by the end of 2025. 

Major airlines such as British Airways and Lufthansa have already scrapped free meals for economy passengers on shorter flights.

The news follows Wizz Air announcing it will launch a new long-haul route from Gatwick Airport to Saudi Arabia — with tickets starting from just £134.99.

The new Gatwick to Jeddah route will be Wizz Air’s longest UK route and is due to launch at the end of March 2025. 

Although the price tag is desirable, cost-conscious passengers will have to go without in-flight entertainment, complimentary coffee, and reclinable seats.

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