On September 14th, 2024, it was announced that European legacy carrier Air France would be trying out a new buy-on-board catering system for its short and medium-haul flights, which from Europe can include destinations across the continent, in North Africa and the Middle East. This new system will shift from the carrier's current food and beverage offer of mostly free onboard snacks and drinks to an American-style system in which pretty much tea, coffee, and water are the only things that will not require you to take out your wallet. Get all the latest aviation news on Simple Flying! Today's news does not come as much of a surprise considering that Air France's sister carrier, Dutch flag carrier KLM, also announced that they would be moving entirely to a buy-on-board catering scheme in 2025, according to an analysis by Loyalty Lobby .
This marks a sharp change from the carrier's former catering scheme which offered passengers a free beverage along with a sandwich, wrap, pastry, or similar food item. A trial program with both strong advocates and opponents This new catering scheme is set to become the norm on two Air France routes, and after this brief trial period, a longer-term decision on the future of buy-on-board catering on Air France will be made. The new service will be rolled out to the following two routes: Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) to Helsinki Airport (HEL) Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) to Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS.