The infamous ‘baguette’ sandwich offered to passengers on Air Malta flights will no longer be served from Thursday as the airline launches its new in-flight menu and for which those on-board will have to pay.

Addressing journalists during a press briefing on Tuesday, Air Malta chairman Charles Mangion said the "buy on board" concept is now standard for nearly all European airlines and that this has changed the way airlines serve in-flight catering especially on short-haul flights.

“We have engaged the services of local and foreign experts in this project. After extensive research and consumer testing we believe we have found the right offering.

"We are confident that through this new offering we will be catering for everyone's tastes and hope to bring our on-board service to a higher level. The menu will change seasonally based on our passenger's feedback,” Dr Mangion explained.

The new menu will contain both cold and warm snacks and is expected to offer a selection of some 70 items.

So-called ‘Meal Deals’, which will include any hot or cold bakery item, a savoury or sweet snack and a soft drink will be sold to passengers for €10. A small bottle of water will set passengers back €2.

Cold wraps and sandwiches will cost €6.50 while warm items will be available at a price of €7.

Other snacks such as chocolates, sweets and wafers will also be on offer.