The recent proliferation of cheap, short-haul flights has changed the sort of food people expect airlines to provide, an industry expert has claimed.
Phil Shepherd, a spokesperson for bmi, said that long-haul passengers still want full meals to be offered by airlines.
However, Mr Shepherd added that people flying to Europe - on trips which generally last less than three hours - want something different from their onboard catering.
"The food is very much changed [for shorter haul flights]. We have gone much more for the sandwich option," he explained.
"When you are only flying for an hour or two - that is the kind of thing that [you] want - rather than a full meal."
Mr Shepherd added that most airlines have a team of professional chefs who plan the menus and that these teams listen to customer comment and take notice of current food trends.
"There are obviously trends within the catering industry and like any catering outlet our chefs are professionals and they will take [nutritional content] into account," he concluded.
Recently, bmi revealed that it was set to launch a new summer menu on its long-haul flights.