Emirates said on Tuesday it has seen on board requests for vegan meals increase by over 40 percent in January, know as Veganuary to vegans worldwide.

The worldwide movement, to encourage veganism especially in January, resulted in the airline serving over 20,000 plant-based meals across all classes.

The airline has a range of dedicated menus for medical or religious meal requirements which are designed with a team of nutritionists and chefs.

Vegan meals rank as the third most commonly requested special meal in Economy Class. Last month, travellers voted Emirates as the Best Airline for Vegan Meals in a poll by Vegan News.

Emirates said it has over 170 plant-based recipes in its kitchen to cater to its vegan customers.

Some of the most popular dishes include Mushroom Ravioli, Vegetable Tagine served with couscous, and a Sweet Potato, Lentil and Spinach Ragout served with steaming brown rice.

Vegan meals, along with other special meals, are available on all Emirates flights and across all classes and can be requested 24 hours before departure. All the menus on board are changed monthly.

The airline introduced vegan cheese on board in April last year and to date, Emirates has served 18,000 kg of the nut based cheese.