Airline Food and Diabetes
Diabetic Airline Meals
If you suffer from diabetes, making sure you eat the right food for your health is of the utmost importance. Find out how to order a diabetic meal for your flight here.
Diabetic AIRLINE MEALS
What is a Diabetic Airline Meal?
A diabetic meal is a meal that has been prepared for sufferers of diabetes. The meal should not contain sugars, syrups, jams, cakes or chocolate. The meal should not cause an increase in blood sugar levels for the passenger.
How do I order a Diabetic Meal?
Any kind of special meal should be ordered at least 24 hours in advance of your flight. Please contact Alternative Airlines or the airline you are flying with directly to request a Diabetic Meal.
How do I know what's in my Diabetic meal?
If you are concerned about the ingredients in your meal. Call the airline in advance to check what ingredients are used in your meal before you fly. Always bring additional food with you on the plane in case there is a problem with your order.
Tips for flying with Diabetes
1. Bring snacks
In order to make sure your blood sugar levels are well regulated, consider bringing your snacks on your flight. Check out our guide to bringing your own food on the plane, to make sure you comply with rules and regulations.
2. Double-check your food
If something doesn't look right with your meal, don't hesitate to ask the cabin crew to double check that your meal does not have any ingredients that are high in sugar.
3. Book with plenty of time
Although many airlines might ask you to reserve one or two days in advance, calling them as early as possible gives staff enough time to make sure that your diabetic meal is on your flight.
5. Let the airline staff know straight away
Once on board your flight, let the cabin crew know straight away that you are diabetic. In this way, they can let you know at what times meals will be served and are aware that you require a special meal.
Which airlines offer special Diabetic meals?
Check which airlines offer kosher meals and find out how far in advance to order.
| AIRLINE NAME | Comida Diabética (DBML) | MIN HOUR BEFORE FLIGHT FOR PREORDER |
|---|---|---|
| Aegean airlines | x | 24 |
| Aer Lingus | x | 24 |
| Aeroflot | x | 36 |
| Aerolíneas Argentinas | x | 72 |
| Aeroméxico | x | 48 |
| Air Astana | x | 24 |
| Aire báltico | x | 24 |
| Air Canada | x | 24 |
| Air China | x | 48 |
| Air France | - | - |
| Air india | x | 72 |
| Air New Zealand | x (select flights) | 24 |
| Aire serbia | x | 24 |
| Air Tahiti Nui | - | - |
| Transat de aire | x | 72 |
| Aircalin | x | 48 |
| Alitalia | x | 24 |
| All Nippon Airways | x | 24 |
| American Airlines | x | 24 |
| Asiana Airlines | x | 24 |
| Austrian Airlines | x | 24 |
| Avianca | x | 24 |
| Azul Airlines | x | 48 |
| Bangkok Airways | x | 24 |
| British Airways | x | 24 |
| Brussels Airlines | x | 48 |
| Caribbean Airlines | x | 24 |
| Cathay dragon | x | 24 |
| Cathay Pacific | x | 24 |
| China Airlines | x | 24 |
| China oriental | x | 24 |
| China Southern | x | 24 |
| Condor Airlines | x | 24 |
| Copa Airlines | - | - |
| Aerolíneas de croacia | x | 24 |
| Delta Airlines | x | 24 |
| Egyptair | x | - |
| EL AL | x | 12–48 |
| emiratos | x | 24 |
| Etihad | x | 24 |
| Eva Air | x | 24 |
| finnair | x | 24 |
| Garuda indonesia | x | 24* |
| Gulf Air | x | 24 |
| Hainan Airlines | x | 24 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | - | - |
| Hong Kong Airlines | x | 24 |
| iberia | x | 24 |
| Icelandair | - | - |
| Índigo | - | - |
| Jetairfly | x | 72 |
| Jetstar | - | - |
| KLM | x | 48 |
| Aire coreano | x | 24 |
| La Compagnie | x | 51 |
| lufthansa | x | 24 |
| Malaysia Airlines | x | 24 |
| Middle East Airlines (MEA) | x | at time of booking |
| Oman Air | x | 24 |
| Pakistan International Airlines | x | at time of booking |
| Philippine Airlines | x | 48 |
| Qantas | x | 36 |
| Qatar Airways | x | 24 |
| Real jordano | x | 24 |
| Aerolíneas escandinavas sas | - | - |
| Shenzhen Airlines | x | 24 |
| Silk Air | x | 24 |
| Aerolíneas de Singapur | x | 24 |
| Vías aéreas sudafricanas | x | 48 |
| Spicejet | x | 24 |
| Sri Lankan Airlines | x | - |
| Swiss International Airlines | x | 24 |
| TAP Portugal | x | 24 |
| Tarom Airlines | x | - |
| Aerolínea tailandesa | x | 48 |
| Thomson/TUI | x | - |
| Turkish Airlines | x | 24 |
| Aerolíneas Unidas | - | - |
| Líneas aéreas de vietnam | x | 24 |
| VIRGIN ATLANTIC | x | 24 |
| Virgin Australia | x | 48 |
| Vistara | x | 24 |
| Xiamen Airlines | x | 24 |
Other Dietary Requirements
Are you a vegan or vegetarian? Find out everything you need to know about meat-free meals with our pages on vegan and vegetarian airline food. Or visit our Religious Dietary Requirements or Allergy pages to find out which airlines cater to your diet. For information on other dietary requirements please click here. Please see our special meals page if you have any meal requirement and you may find what you're looking for.