With the rise of food delivery apps, customers are used to on-demand dining on the ground. How can this be replicated in the air? We talked to Maria Laamanen, In-Flight Manager, Norwegian.

The key to making in-flight dining part of good passenger experience is choice, Maria Laamanen, In-Flight Manager, Norwegian, says. In future it will be even greater flexibility.

Laamanen says: “At Norwegian, we have two different concepts on-board our long-haul flights. You can either pre-order your meal, and then you get one hot meal service and one snack/breakfast service, or we have an interactive snack bar [with] hot snacks like paninis and sandwiches. You can order through the screen and pay right there.”

“Norwegian is all about choice,” she adds. “If you prefer [not to have] food or maybe you have your own food with you, we also don’t deny it. There are different options.”

Last-minute options

The most important future trend is “definitely flexibility,” Laamanen says, particularly last-minute orders. This would give a passenger the ability to opt for an in-flight meal or change their preference just before the flight, via an app.

“Right now, with logistics and catering companies, and even our IT, it’s not possible yet,” Laamanen says. “Hopefully we’ll get there.”

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