VGML is the airline meal code for a vegan meal, often described as a “Vegetarian Vegan Meal.” It is intended to exclude meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs, honey and other animal-derived ingredients.
But a meal request and the tray placed in front of you are not the same thing. Check that you received the correct meal, read the labels on separately packaged items and ask about anything unexpected. A vegan main course does not make a dairy butter packet vegan.
For India travellers, the biggest booking mistake is selecting “vegetarian” and assuming it means vegan. AVML can contain dairy; VGML is intended to exclude it.
Airline information reviewed: November 2026. Availability and request deadlines depend on the flight and operating airline.
On This Page
- What does VGML mean?
- Is the entire meal really vegan?
- VGML and Yoghurt (Curd), Milk and Cheese
- VGML vs AVML and other meal codes
- Does Air India offer vegan meals?
- Does IndiGo offer vegan meals?
- Which other airlines offer VGML?
- How and when to request your meal
- What to check on your tray
- Vegan meals and food allergies
- What if your vegan meal is missing or wrong?
- Frequently asked questions
What Does VGML Mean on a Flight?
VGML means a vegan meal, not simply a meat-free meal. Airline descriptions may use “Vegan Meal,” “Vegetarian Vegan Meal” or similar wording.
A vegan meal should exclude:
- Meat, poultry, fish and seafood.
- Eggs and egg-based ingredients.
- Milk, butter, ghee, cheese, paneer, cream and yoghurt.
- Honey.
- Animal-derived ingredients such as animal gelatin, animal fat and animal rennet.
Emirates explicitly lists these exclusions in its VGML description. Airline menus and the dishes served will still vary.
Does vegan just mean “no meat”?
No. A paneer curry, cheese sandwich or butter croissant can be vegetarian while containing dairy. An egg sandwich can be suitable for some vegetarians but is not vegan.
When making the request, say “vegan—no dairy, eggs or honey” rather than relying only on the word “veg.”
Is a VGML Meal Really Vegan?
That is what the meal is intended to be. A tray containing an ordinary dairy yoghurt or butter packet does not meet that intention merely because its main dish is plant-based.
However, distinguish three different situations:
| Situation | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You received a standard vegetarian meal | The wrong meal category may have been supplied. | Ask the crew to check your VGML request and tray label. |
| A separately packaged side contains dairy or egg | That item is unsuitable for a vegan diet. | Leave it unopened and ask whether a suitable replacement is available. |
| The ingredients are vegan but a label warns of possible traces | This concerns potential cross-contact, not necessarily an intentional animal ingredient. | If you have an allergy, follow your medical plan and the airline’s allergy guidance. |
There is no verified industry-wide success percentage in this guide. Individual passenger experiences can reveal problems, but they cannot establish how often every airline serves an incorrect meal.
Likewise, there is no basis here for claiming that breakfast is universally less reliable than dinner. Check every service, including breakfast, snacks and drinks.
VGML and Yoghurt (Curd), Milk and Cheese: Are They Allowed?
Regular yoghurt or curd, animal milk and dairy cheese are not vegan and should not be included in a VGML meal. This also applies to paneer, butter, ghee, cream and milk powder. A vegetarian label does not make these products suitable for vegans.
- Yoghurt or curd: Dairy versions are not vegan. A plant-based alternative may be suitable, but check all ingredients, including honey.
- Milk: Cow, buffalo, goat and other animal milk are excluded. Lactose-free dairy milk is still not vegan.
- Cheese: Regular cheese and paneer contain dairy. “Vegetarian cheese” may use non-animal rennet but still contain milk.
- Plant-based substitutes: Soy, oat or coconut alternatives may be suitable when their full ingredient list is vegan.
If a dairy item appears on your tray, ask the cabin crew to check that you received the correct meal. An unopened dairy packet can be set aside for a vegan dietary preference, but removing it does not establish that the remaining meal is safe for someone with a milk allergy.
VGML vs AVML: Which Meal Should You Order?
| Code | Usual description | What a vegan passenger should know |
|---|---|---|
| VGML | Vegan meal | The clearest standard request for a meal excluding animal ingredients. |
| AVML | Asian or Indian vegetarian meal | Can contain dairy, including paneer, yoghurt or ghee. Do not assume vegan. |
| VLML | Lacto-ovo vegetarian meal | Can contain dairy and eggs. |
| VOML | Vegetarian Oriental meal | Some airlines explicitly exclude meat, seafood, eggs and dairy. Check the carrier’s full definition. |
| VJML | Jain vegetarian meal | Has religious ingredient restrictions. Confirm the airline’s dairy and other ingredient exclusions. |
| HNML | Hindu non-vegetarian meal | Can contain meat or fish. It is not a vegan or vegetarian request. |
| GFML | Gluten-free or gluten-intolerant meal | Does not automatically exclude animal ingredients. |
For example, Qatar Airways describes VOML as excluding meat, fish, eggs and dairy, while its AVML can contain dairy. This is why “only VGML can ever be vegan” is too broad.
Source: Qatar Airways special-meal descriptions.
Compare our dedicated guides to AVML meals, Jain meals and vegan versus vegetarian airline meals.
Does Air India Have Vegan Meals?
Yes. Air India lists Vegan Meal (VGML) in its special menu. Its description excludes animal-derived ingredients, specifically including dairy, eggs and honey.
Air India’s AVML is a different choice: it is prepared in an Indian vegetarian style and may contain dairy.
Check the meal options available for your particular flight through the airline’s booking channels. Its dietary-meal FAQ instructs passengers to order at least 24 hours before departure.
Keep the request confirmation and check it again after a flight change. At check-in, ask whether VGML remains recorded for the relevant flight.
Sources: Air India special menu and Air India dietary-meal FAQ.
For other options, see Air India special meal codes.
Does IndiGo Have Vegan Meals?
Do not assume an IndiGo vegetarian selection is a confirmed vegan meal. Its published 6E Eats page offers pre-bookable food choices, but that alone does not establish that a dish excludes dairy, eggs and honey.
For this review, a current official policy confirming a dedicated vegan VGML service across IndiGo’s domestic or selected long-haul network could not be verified. That does not prove vegan food is unavailable on every flight; it means you should obtain confirmation for your actual booking.
Ask IndiGo these questions:
- Is a specifically vegan meal available on this flight number and date?
- Does it exclude dairy, eggs, honey and animal-derived ingredients?
- What is the request deadline?
- Is the meal request confirmed for every relevant sector?
Ordinary paneer is dairy. A paneer dish does not become vegan because it includes vegan mayonnaise. A plant-based substitute would need to be explicitly identified.
Start with the official IndiGo food menu. For general meal pricing and inclusions, read Is Food Free on IndiGo Flights?
Which Other Airlines Offer Vegan Meals?
Several airlines serving India publish vegan special-meal options. Availability can depend on route, cabin and whether a meal service is provided.
- Emirates: Lists VGML with explicit exclusions for animal products and by-products.
- Qatar Airways: Lists a vegan vegetarian meal excluding dairy, eggs and honey.
- Singapore Airlines: Lists VGML and other vegetarian choices with published ingredient exclusions.
- ANA: Lists VGML without meat, fish, eggs, honey or dairy.
- Gulf Air: Lists VGML excluding animal ingredients, including eggs, honey and dairy derivatives.
Check the operating airline when a ticket includes a partner flight. A meal selected for one carrier should not be assumed to cover every connection.
Official menus: ANA and Gulf Air.
How Early Should You Request VGML?
Request it when you book. A general recommendation to order “24 to 48 hours ahead” can be insufficient for some departures.
| Airline | Published timing relevant to this guide |
|---|---|
| Air India | Dietary-meal FAQ: at least 24 hours before departure. |
| Qatar Airways | Special-meal requests: at least 24 hours before departure. |
| Singapore Airlines | Generally 24 hours, but longer deadlines apply at specified departure airports. |
Singapore Airlines currently lists 56 hours for departures from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi, and 32 hours from Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Kochi. Check its full list for other departure cities.
Sources: Singapore Airlines special-meal deadlines and Qatar Airways meal requests.
A simple booking checklist
- Select the explicitly vegan option for the correct passenger.
- Check each outbound, connecting and return flight separately.
- Save the confirmation or screenshot.
- Recheck the request after a date, flight or cabin change.
- Confirm with staff before boarding if the booking record is unclear.
Useful wording: “Please confirm a vegan meal for this flight—not just vegetarian. I do not eat dairy, eggs, honey or other animal-derived ingredients.”
What Should You Check When Your Meal Arrives?
A quick check is especially useful for packaged sides and items offered separately during service.
- Meal label: Ask whether this is the VGML assigned to you.
- Spreads: Check butter and margarine ingredients.
- Bread and pastries: Do not assume a plain-looking roll contains no milk or egg.
- Dessert: Check for milk, cream, eggs, honey or animal gelatin.
- Dressings and sauces: Ask about ingredients rather than judging by appearance.
- Tea and coffee: Confirm the milk or creamer offered separately.
- Later snacks: Check these independently from the main meal.
For a vegan dietary preference, an unopened unsuitable side can be set aside. If you suspect the main dish contains an animal ingredient, ask for clarification or an alternative rather than assuming that removing a visible topping resolves it.
A colour, texture or dish name alone cannot verify the recipe. Vegetable rice might be cooked with oil or butter; a curry may or may not contain cream.
Is VGML Safe for a Milk or Egg Allergy?
A vegan meal is not an allergen-free guarantee. It can also contain ingredients such as wheat, soy, peanuts or tree nuts.
Airlines including Singapore Airlines and Emirates explain that shared preparation facilities and the cabin environment can expose food to allergens. A meal intended to exclude dairy is therefore different from a guarantee against milk cross-contact.
If you have a food allergy, tell the airline about the allergy itself, seek medical advice for your travel plan and carry prescribed medication as advised. Do not rely solely on selecting VGML.
For an allergy, removing a butter packet or picking an ingredient out of a dish does not establish that the remaining food is safe.
See the airlines’ special-meal allergy notice and dietary requirements guidance, plus our food-allergy travel guide.
What If Your Vegan Meal Is Missing or Contains Dairy?
- Pause before eating. Keep the packaging and meal label.
- Explain the issue calmly. Show your confirmed request if needed.
- Ask the crew to check. They may be able to identify the correct tray or provide an alternative.
- Verify the replacement. A standard vegetarian meal may still contain dairy.
- Document the problem. Photograph the tray and relevant labels without including other passengers.
- Report it after travel. Include the flight number, date, sector, meal confirmation and a clear description.
The crew may have limited replacement food available once the flight has departed. Do not assume another full vegan meal can be prepared on board.
For more help, read what to do when the wrong meal is served.
Should You Pack Backup Food?
Yes, consider a small amount of suitable food that does not require refrigeration or reheating. Check ingredients and choose something compatible with your own dietary and allergy needs.
Do not describe nuts as a universally safe backup. Also check security restrictions for liquids, spreads and gels, plus food-import rules at your destination.
See carrying snacks on flights in India and bringing food into India.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is VGML vegan or vegetarian?
It is intended to be vegan. Although some airlines call it a “Vegetarian Vegan Meal,” it should exclude animal-derived ingredients rather than merely exclude meat.
What is the main difference between AVML and VGML?
AVML can include dairy. VGML is intended to exclude dairy as well as eggs, honey and other animal ingredients.
Does VGML contain paneer or ghee?
Ordinary paneer and ghee are dairy products and do not belong in a vegan meal. Check any claimed plant-based substitute explicitly.
Is a Jain meal automatically vegan?
Do not assume so from the name alone. Read the operating airline’s definition and confirm dairy exclusions along with the religious ingredient restrictions.
Can a VOML meal be vegan?
Yes. Some airlines define VOML without meat, seafood, eggs or dairy. Check the complete description, including any other animal-derived ingredients you avoid.
Is VGML gluten-free?
No. A vegan meal can contain bread, pasta or other wheat-based ingredients. If you need both vegan and gluten-free food, ask whether the airline can meet both requirements.
Can I request VGML after boarding?
You can ask what is available, but a suitable meal may not have been loaded. Advance confirmation is much more useful than relying on an onboard request.
Will the same VGML dishes be served on my return flight?
Do not expect an identical menu. The meal code describes the dietary category, not a guaranteed recipe or set of dishes.
Does choosing a vegan meal cover every snack and drink?
Check separately served snacks, desserts, milk and creamers individually. Do not assume every item offered during the flight is part of your special meal.
Related Airline Meal Guides
- Which Airline Meal Has No Dairy? Avoiding Paneer, Ghee, Milk and Curd
- Airline Meals Explained: Codes, Special Meals and What to Order
- AVML Meal on Flights: What Is an Asian Vegetarian Meal?
- Air India Special Meal Codes
- Vegan vs Vegetarian Meals on Flights
- HNML Meal on Flights: Is a Hindu Meal Vegetarian?
- Gluten-Free Meals on Flights
- Do Indian Domestic Airlines Provide Free Meals?
