Major Maltese airline Air Malta has revamped its in-flight menu, adding brand new vegan options.
The new menu, which will be introduced on July 12 and change seasonally, will feature over 70 new food and beverage options, including a vegan wrap. “By listening to passenger feedback across various channels, it became evident that our guests prefer a choice of good quality snacks,” Paul Sies, Air Malta’s Chief Commerical Officer, said in a statement. “In line with how the airline business has developed, our guests want better quality and a wider selection.”
The new vegan wrap, according to the Air Malta team, is expected to be the menu’s most popular item based on feedback already received. It will include locally sourced ingredients, such as hummus and fresh spinach, as well as falafel, which according to Lovin Malta is the nation’s current favorite food. “Falafel is having a moment in Malta right now,” said the publication. “[It’s] found in menus across the island, and now it’s made it onto the national airline. This wrap is vegan, but more importantly, the falafel balls themselves are handmade daily on premises right next to the airport, to ensure maximum freshness.”
The wrap can be purchased on its own or as part of a meal deal, along with a snack and a drink for €10.
Air Malta is not the first airline to add more vegan options to its in-flight menu. In early July, Air New Zealand announced the addition of the vegan meat-like Impossible Burger to its Business Premier menu. For the next three months, guests traveling from Los Angeles to Auckland will be able to enjoy the plant-based ‘bleeding’ burger in the air. “We’re confident vegetarians, flexitarians and dedicated meat lovers alike will enjoy the delicious taste of the Impossible Burger,” said the airline’s customer experience manager, Niki Chave.
Australia’s Jetstar airlines also recently debuted a new vegan in-flight menu, featuring a lentil and tabbouleh salad with falafel and garden vegetable noodles. The airline received an award for its new onboard plant-based options from animal rights organization, PETA. “Cruelty-free culture has taken off in Australia and we applaud Jetstar for listening to its vegan customers,” said PETA Australia.
