British Airways has announced that it will begin offering plant-based milk as an option on board its long-haul flights.
The carrier has chosen oat milk made by UK brand Glebe Farm, which grows its own gluten-free oats in Cambridgeshire. In 2022, Glebe Farm told vegconomist that it hoped to “redefine the UK oat milk market”, encouraging a shift away from imported products.
While the oat milk will soon be available on flights, British Airways warns that supply may initially be limited until the rollout is complete. The airline also offers a vegan inflight meal, though this must be ordered 24 hours in advance of the flight’s departure.
In 2022, British Airways began offering a range of plant-based meals in first-class and business-class airport lounges as part of a strategy to reduce its carbon footprint.
Exploring new flavours
While many airlines have been relatively slow to offer plant-based options, things are beginning to change. Another oat milk brand, Oatly, secured its first global airline partnership last year with the introduction of the vegan coffee drink Oatly Caffè Latte on all Swiss International Airlines flights.
Last May, Alaska Airlines announced it would be expanding its plant-based menu after previously introducing several vegan dishes in 2022. The new options included the JUST Egg Frittata, Tofu Wrap, and White Bean Chili.
Meanwhile, Middle Eastern airline Emirates has a huge “vault” of 300 vegan recipes, which are in rotation across its 140 destinations. The carrier recently announced it would be extending this range even further, after plant-based meal consumption grew by 40% YOY.
“Explore new flavors with our selection of inventive vegan dishes, whether it’s a full three-course meal or a movie snack. Enjoy dishes like our zucchini tart, jackfruit biryani, or vegan mapo tofu. And you can look forward to delectable vegan desserts like our chocolate truffle cake with roasted hazelnuts. Look out for the vegan icon on our menus,” says Emirates on its website.