Ordering a vegan meal on a flight used to feel like a special request. Something you’d hope the airline remembered. Today, it’s a mainstream choice — and Emirates is seeing that shift play out at scale.
The Dubai-based airline now serves more than 500,000 vegan meals every year, as travellers increasingly choose lighter, cleaner and more nourishing food while flying. It’s a clear signal that plant-based dining is no longer a trend. It’s part of how people travel now.
For Emirates, this growing demand has sparked a rethink of inflight food — from ingredients and sourcing to how vegan meals are designed across cabins.
From meat substitutes to real food
What’s changed most is the approach.
Instead of relying on heavily processed meat alternatives, Emirates has pivoted towards whole, natural plant ingredients. Think legumes, grains, seasonal vegetables, nuts and seeds. Food that feels familiar, balanced and comforting — even at 35,000 feet.
The airline is now working on a new range of farm-to-flight-to-fork vegan dishes, expected to roll out by 2027. The idea is simple: fewer artificial ingredients, more honest food.
This shift reflects a wider change in how people eat, especially in cities like Dubai, where diners are more aware of what goes into their meals. From café menus in Jumeirah to high-end restaurants in DIFC, plant-forward dishes are now standard — not specialised.
What’s on the menu across cabins?
Emirates currently has a portfolio of 488 vegan recipes, offered across its global network. That number has grown significantly in just a year, driven by consistent passenger demand.
Vegan meals are available:
- Across Economy, Premium Economy, Business and First Class
- As part of regular menus on high-demand routes
- Via pre-order, for passengers who prefer to plan ahead
- Inside Emirates lounges at Dubai International Airport
The dishes themselves vary by cabin.
In Economy, passengers can expect hearty, well-balanced meals such as vegetable cannelloni with tomato sauce, lentil-based mains or baked vegetable frittatas.
Premium Economy offers more refined plates, including plant-based rice bowls, roasted vegetables with aromatic spices, and globally inspired flavours.
In Business and First Class, the experience is closer to restaurant dining — carefully plated dishes like mushroom-based mains, risottos made with whole grains, and vegetable-forward meals finished with fresh herbs and textures.
The goal is consistency. Vegan meals shouldn’t feel like an afterthought. They should feel like a proper choice.
Who’s ordering Emirates vegan meals?
Interestingly, not everyone choosing a vegan option follows a plant-based lifestyle.
Many passengers opt for vegan meals because they’re lighter, easier to digest and less likely to cause discomfort on long-haul flights. This is especially true on routes lasting eight hours or more.
Some of the highest demand comes from routes connecting Dubai with cities such as London, Sydney, Mumbai, Singapore and Melbourne — destinations with diverse food cultures and health-aware travellers.
For frequent flyers, especially UAE residents travelling regularly for work or leisure, food that leaves you feeling good matters. Emirates appears to understand that shift.
Dubai’s role in shaping inflight food
As Emirates’ home base, Dubai plays a key role in how the airline approaches dining.
The city’s food scene is global, fast-evolving and demanding. Residents expect quality, variety and innovation — whether dining out or flying out. That expectation travels onboard.
Emirates’ focus on fresher plant-based meals also aligns with the UAE’s broader conversations around sustainability, food security and smarter consumption. Locally grown produce, reduced food waste and cleaner ingredient lists are now part of everyday dining discussions.
By integrating these ideas into inflight catering, Emirates is extending Dubai’s food philosophy into the sky.
More than a food trend
Serving half a million vegan meals a year isn’t just about keeping up with trends. It’s about responding to how people live, eat and travel today.
Plant-based dining now intersects with wellness, sustainability and personal choice. Airlines that recognise this aren’t just improving menus — they’re improving the passenger experience.
For Emirates, the message is clear: inflight food should evolve with its travellers.
And for passengers flying out of Dubai, that means more choice, better ingredients and meals that feel good long after landing.
Emirates’ growing vegan menu reflects a wider shift in travel and lifestyle. Health-conscious choices are shaping how airlines think about food — and Dubai’s flagship carrier is leaning into that change.
With new farm-to-flight vegan dishes planned for 2027, the future of plane food looks fresher, lighter and far more intentional.
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