Forget stodgy containers of unidentifiable, gluggy mash, and getting hungry between in-flight services. Qantas has announced a new approach to on-board dining, alongside its new spring menu – which features the likes of ‘crushed green ants’.

Making introverts dreams come true, and providing a solution for those who slept through their last meal on a long-haul flight, the new Qantas A3080 cabins will feature self-service areas. Now, at any time they please, passengers in the Business cabin lounge can pick up green juices, coconut water, kombucha, wine, gin and tonics and more from a help-yourself fridge. Then, there’s chocolate, fresh fruit and crudites for round-the-clock snacking.

And, passengers in the Economy and Premium Economy cabins can enjoy soft drinks, juices, fruits, crudites and Tim Tams as they please.

But what of the green ants on board? The airline’s spring menu is bringing its sky-high cuisine to a new heights with the help of a Rockpool chef on the pans.

For those seated upfront, a tasting plate that highlights Indigenous ingredients brings forth the likes of goat’s cheese rolled in crushed green ants and lemon myrtle. Those further down the rows have not been forgotten, and can now feast on fresh, flavoursome dishes – including a black bean noodle salad with smoked salmon and edamame beans. The future of plane food is here, and we’re all about it.