Passsengers flying with Irish budget carrier Ryanair and banned from smoking while on board can get their nicotine fix by inhaling "smokeless" cigarettes, the airline announced this week.

The new range of cigarettes, which do not have to be lit but provide a nicotine "hit" for smokers, are available on all Ryanair flights, the Dublin-based airline said in a statement received on Monday.

Ryanair said smokers no longer had "to worry about long flights without a cigarette as it launches a new range of smokeless cigarettes to ensure passengers get their required nicotine hit without breaking the law by 'lighting up' onboard".

It added: "Smoking on commercial flights has been illegal since the 1990s but now to cater to passengers' demands, Ryanair has introduced Similar Smokeless Cigarettes, which look and feel like a real cigarette and deliver a small amount of nicotine through inhalation."

The smokeless cigarettes are available to passengers aged over 18 years old, while a pack of ten costs ?6.

What do you think? Would you be happy with the passenger sitting next to you 'puffing' away mid-flight? Post a comment below...