Passengers pleased with Cook catering changes

A line of cardboard cartons wound up in a string bag that collapses into a tablemat that can also hold drinks is one of the new developments on Thomas Cook Airlines.

The carrier is working with product developer WK Thomas in the United Kingdom. The new design takes up half the space of older serving trays, but holds the same amount of food, reports Travel Weekly. Drinks are served in cardboard beakers and the carrier says that the new concept saves as much as a tonne of weight on long haul flights. It also cuts back on the amount of time its takes to serve meals on short-haul flights.

The packaging can be nearly all recycled, and the carrier and WK Thomas are working on improvements that can make the products that cannot be recycled biodegradable.

Even though the airline is looking at healthier products, officials say that they have also been boarding long time English favorites such as roast beef and bangers and mash.