For decades, special meals onboard were treated as a compliance exercise, a box to tick rather than an opportunity to delight. As an expert in special diets, having years of experience living with life-threatening food allergies and working closely with airlines, caterers, and food manufacturers globally, I have experienced this first-hand from both sides of the aisle: as a passenger who has severe allergies/ anaphylaxis and as a partner to the industry.
Today, that mindset is no longer sufficient.
Passengers are changing. Expectations are changing. And crucially, the definition of good service is changing. Special diets, whether allergen-free, medical, religious, ethical, or lifestyle-based are no longer niche. They are mainstream, and they represent one of the most powerful, under-leveraged tools airlines have to enhance customer experience, build loyalty, and differentiate in an increasingly competitive market.
This article explores why hyper-customised special meals are rising, why they matter more than ever, and why prioritising them is not only the right thing to do but a smart commercial decision with the latest shifts in catering.
The New Reality: Special Diets Are No Longer “Special”
One of the most persistent myths in aviation catering is that special meals are for a small minority. In reality, dietary needs now touch every cabin, every route, and every demographic.
Globally, food allergies affect an estimated 1 in 10 adults, while intolerances such as lactose intolerance, impact up to 65% of the world’s population. Add to this medically required diets (diabetes, low-sodium, renal), religious requirements (halal, kosher), ethical choices (vegetarian, vegan), and culturally specific preferences and suddenly “special meals” represent a significant portion of passengers onboard.
Recent consumer research in the UK found that nearly 42% of households now cater to at least one special diet, whether vegetarian, lactose-free, gluten-free, halal, or meat-reduced. Within that cohort, nearly one in three households is following a meat-reducing diet such as flexitarian, vegetarian, or vegan. These patterns reflect broader global trends, not isolated local phenomena.[1]
The surge in special meal requests highlights how critical it is for airlines to prioritise diverse dietary needs. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), over 20% of passengers request special meals due to dietary restrictions, underscoring the need for airlines to offer a wide variety of options. Data from Business Research Insights further shows that special meal orders have increased by 55% since 2021, with vegan options now exceeding 112%, reflecting the growing passenger demand for allergen-free, plant-based, and nutritionally balanced meals. Catering effectively to these needs ensures passenger safety, enhances satisfaction, and positions airlines as leaders in inclusivity and wellness.[2]
Yet too often, these passengers experience:
- Limited choice
- Inconsistent quality
- Poor communication
- Anxiety, rather than anticipation
For passengers with allergies or medical needs, this isn’t just inconvenient, it’s stressful and at times, dangerous. Food is deeply emotional. When it goes wrong, it disproportionately sullies the entire travel experience.
Why Customer Experience Begins With Trust
Airlines spend millions refining seat design, lighting, entertainment, and loyalty programmes. Yet for passengers with special dietary needs, the defining question is far simpler:
“Will I be safe, included, and cared for on this flight?”
When a special meal is handled well, it creates an outsized emotional impact. Passengers feel seen, understood, valued. That trust translates directly into brand loyalty.
Conversely, when special meals are an afterthought, poorly labelled, substituted without explanation, or simply unavailable, trust erodes instantly.
Hyper-customisation isn’t about offering endless complexity. It’s about precision, clarity, and confidence.
The Broader Consumer Shift: Personalised Health and Wellness Expectations
The rise of hyper-customised onboard meals mirrors a much wider consumer shift towards personalised health and wellness, one that airline leaders will already recognise from other sectors.[3]
Today’s consumers are accustomed to experiences tailored precisely to them; from fitness apps that adapt workouts in real time, to wearable technology that monitors sleep and recovery, to DNA-driven nutrition programmes promising personalised diet plans. Modern customers increasingly expect services to respond to their bodies, preferences, and values.[4][5]
Food sits at the centre of this wellness revolution. Diet is no longer viewed solely as fuel, but as a key driver of physical health, mental wellbeing, and performance, particularly during travel, where fatigue, dehydration, and stress are already heightened.
Passengers increasingly view meals as part of their wellness journey. For instance, personalised diet plans or allergen-free meals that align with lifestyle goals are now comparable in expectation to their fitness tracking or app-based meal kits at home. Airlines that fail to meet this expectation risk appearing outdated, while those that embrace it signal innovation and attentiveness.
Hyper-customised special diets allow airlines to align inflight catering with the wider wellness ecosystem signalling that they understand modern travellers and are evolving accordingly.
Designing Flexibility at Scale: Allergy-Safe Foundations and Modular Menus
One of the most common concerns raised by airline executives is complexity. How can greater personalisation be delivered without creating operational inefficiency or escalating costs?
The answer lies in smart menu architecture, not endless choice.
Rather than viewing each dietary requirement as a standalone SKU, leading operators are beginning to explore modular, flexible meal models built around allergy-safe or universally inclusive foundations.
Examples include:
- Allergen-controlled base dishes, such as top-14 allergen-free grains, proteins, or plant-based mains that still taste as good.
- Customisable toppings, sides, or sauces selected to meet additional dietary needs or preferences
- Clearly segmented components that allow one core meal to flex across multiple dietary profiles
- Snacks that are always catering for the widest dietary requirements, top 14 allergen free, halal etc as these can be utilised across all cabins making it cost effective.
Some airlines are already piloting these approaches: Iberia’s allergen-free bases with modular sides, Delta’s plant-based mains with optional toppings, and British Airways’ customisable dietary options for premium passengers.[6]
This approach delivers several advantages:
- Greater inclusivity without exponential menu growth
- Improved forecasting and reduced waste
- Easier crew service and explanation onboard
- Enhanced passenger choice without compromising safety
For passengers with allergies, an allergen-safe base provides confidence. For those with lifestyle or cultural preferences, modular add-ons deliver personalisation and enjoyment. For airlines, it represents a scalable, commercially viable pathway to hyper-customisation.
Importantly, this model shifts special diets away from being reactive substitutions and towards intentional, experience-led design.
Technology as an Enabler: Turning Insight into Experience
Technology is the critical enabler that allows hyper-customised special meals to move from concept to reality.
Across the industry, we are already seeing early adoption of tools that place greater control and transparency in passengers’ hands:
Meal Pre-Selection and Personalised Ordering
Pre-order systems allow passengers to select meals in advance, increasing satisfaction while improving catering accuracy. When dietary profiles are integrated into these systems, airlines can proactively suggest suitable options, removing uncertainty and reducing last-minute service challenges.
App-Based Meal Customisation
Airline apps are rapidly becoming central experience platforms. Extending them to include dietary preferences, exclusions, and meal customisation enables passengers to engage with food choices in a calm, informed environment rather than under pressure onboard.
This also opens the door to:
- Personalised recommendations
- Automatic preference recall across journeys
- Integration with loyalty profiles
QR Codes and Digital Transparency
QR codes on packaging or menus can provide instant access to ingredient lists, allergen statements, nutritional data, and sourcing information. For passengers with special diets, this level of transparency builds trust and reduces anxiety.
For airlines, it offers a scalable way to deliver detailed information without overloading physical menus or cabin crew.
Crucially, these technologies are not speculative. They are already embedded in adjacent sectors and increasingly expected by travellers who value control, clarity, and confidence.
The Commercial Opportunity Airlines Can’t Ignore
Prioritising special meals is often viewed as a cost centre. In reality, it is a revenue-protecting and value-creating strategy.
Key benefits include:
Increased Loyalty and Repeat Booking
Passengers with dietary needs are sticky customers. When they find an airline they trust, they return and they advocate.
Reduced In-Flight Issues
Clear systems and reliable meals reduce crew stress, onboard incidents, and compensation claims.
Premium Perception
Thoughtful food signals quality. Many airlines leading in special diets are also leaders in premium brand perception.
Alignment With ESG and Inclusion Goals
Accessible food is inclusion in action. It supports broader commitments to wellbeing, accessibility, and responsible service.
The Role of Caterers and Suppliers
Caterers and manufacturers play a critical role in:
- Designing recipes specifically for special diets
- Ensuring robust allergen controls
- Innovating with ingredients that perform at altitude
- Scaling safely without diluting standards
Those investing early in specialist capabilities are already becoming preferred partners as airlines raise expectations.
Special diets are no longer just a ‘Trend’. They are a permanent feature of modern travel.
The question is no longer if airlines should prioritise them but how quickly they can evolve to meet rising expectations.
Those who lead now will set the standard for the next generation of onboard experience.
And those who embrace the new technology while truly listening to passengers with special dietary needs will not only earn trust, but long-term loyalty.
- Talking Retail. Nearly Half of UK Households Now Cater for At Least One Special Diet, 2024. https://www.talkingretail.com/news/industry-news/nearly-half-of-uk-households-now-cater-for-at-least-one-special-diet-23-07-2024 ↩︎
- Business Research Insights. In-Flight Catering Market Report, 2025.
https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/market-reports/in-flight-catering-market-125251 ↩︎ - Reiß, M. et al., “Individualisation of Inflight Catering Meals An Automation Concept,” Aerospace, 9(11), University of Bremen, 2022.
https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/9/11/736 ↩︎ - Airline Catering International, “Is the industry doing enough to accommodate food‑allergic passengers?”, 2025.https://airlinecateringint.com/news/is-the-industry-doing-enough-to-accommodate-food-allergic-passengers ↩︎
- AllergyMenu.app, “QR code for menus with allergy filter,” 2025. ↩︎
- Trueman, R., “Cracking the special meals code with dnata,” PAX International, 2024.
https://www.pax-intl.com/passenger-services/catering/2024/04/16/cracking-the-special-meals-code-with-dnata ↩︎
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