Vegan Airplane Food: Emirates Now Offers Nearly 500 Different Plant-Based Recipes

Emirates is doubling down on its commitment to vegan airplane food.

The UAE-based airline now offers 488 different plant-based meals on flights. Emirates has also revealed plans for a new whole foods-focused menu “to celebrate real, whole, and farm-to-fork plant foods,” which will be launched next year.

Emirates serves half a million vegan meals every year. The newly updated vegan menu was last expanded in 2025, and it represents a 60 percent increase in recipes from 2024, which the company said shows its “dedication” to vegan customers.

The availability of dishes varies depending on customers’ tickets. For example, Economy class flyers can try dishes such as pumpkin frittata with sautéed mushrooms and tomato concassé, and the vegan chocolate mousse cake.

Meanwhile, Premium Economy class customers can opt for the kimchi fried rice served with roasted pumpkin and sautéed oyster mushrooms, and desserts such as coconut cake, served with pineapple compote and pistachio nuts.

In First class, flyers can try what Emirates calls “elevated” vegan cuisine, which includes pumpkin and barley risotto served with rocket, caramelised walnuts, vinaigrette, and vegan cheese, and a strawberry tart with custard and pistachios.

‘We want to shift from substitutes to a celebration of plants’

In addition to the expanded vegan options, Emirates is working on developing “new concepts” for a primarily whole food, plant-based menu, expected by 2027.

“Our focus now is on legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, and seasonal vegetables as the heroes of the plate,” Doxis Bekri, the vice president of food and beverage design, said in a statement. “These ingredients offer natural depth of flavour, texture, and nutrition without relying on ultra-processed alternatives.”

The company said that the concepts are inspired by increasing consumer interest in nutrition, health, wellbeing, and minimally processed foods, and will “feel authentic, vibrant and rooted in culinary tradition,” and aims to include natural plant foods like fruit, vegetables, and grains, rather than meat analogues and alternative proteins.

“Instead of replicating meat, we want to draw from cuisines that have always been plant-forward like Mediterranean mezze, Levantine grain salads, Asian noodle bowls, and African stews,” Bekri said. “This approach feels genuine and culturally rich.”

He added, “We want to shift from substitutes to a celebration of plants, where it’s not about what’s missing – but instead what is gained in authenticity, flavour, and creativity.”

London flyers choose vegan airplane food

Photo shows one of the meals from the expanded plant-based and vegan menu available on Emirates flights — Emirates One of the 488 vegan options on Emirates flights is the heirloom tomato, pear, and mango salad

According to Emirates, the destinations with the highest number of vegan orders are London, Sydney, Bangkok, Melbourne, Frankfurt, Manchester, Mumbai, Bali, and Singapore. Earlier this month, a market research study named London the top vegan city in the UK and in the world, with high search volume for plant-based food, a good number of meat-free restaurants per capita, and eateries with positive reviews.

Emirates operates more than 3,000 flights per week, serving over 140 airports in 80 countries and territories around the world. The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is owned by the Dubai government’s Investment Corporation of Dubai.

Emirates is one of the only remaining commercial airlines still flying to Russia amid significant sanctions by the EU, UK, Canada, and the US. Russia invaded Ukraine just over four years ago, and the conflict has resulted in more than 15,000 civilian deaths.