Emirates has marked World Chocolate Day by revealing the remarkable scale of its onboard chocolate offering, with passengers consuming more than 64 million pieces of premium chocolate and 26 million handcrafted chocolate desserts across the airline’s global network every year.
The Dubai-based carrier said chocolate remains one of the most anticipated elements of its inflight dining experience, with curated treats available in every cabin class, from Economy to First Class. Passenger demand continues to grow, with chocolate consumption increasing by around 5% year-on-year.
Millions of Chocolates Served Every Year
According to Emirates, the airline loads approximately 750,000 kilograms of premium chocolate giveaways onto its aircraft annually while using around 260,000 kilograms of chocolate ingredients to create desserts served throughout its network.
In total, Emirates customers enjoy more than 64 million individual chocolates each year—around four million more than the previous year—alongside approximately 26 million handcrafted chocolate desserts prepared for flights worldwide.
Global Flavours Inspired by Destinations
Rather than offering identical desserts on every route, Emirates designs its chocolate menu around regional tastes and seasonal ingredients. Mediterranean destinations may feature chocolate paired with berries or stone fruits, while Asian routes inspire combinations with tropical fruits, yuzu and matcha.
Across Middle Eastern destinations, pistachio remains one of the airline’s most popular flavour pairings, while salted caramel continues to rank among passengers’ favourite chocolate combinations globally.
To support this variety, Emirates works with premium chocolatiers and manufacturers that source cocoa from renowned growing regions in South America and Africa, with an emphasis on quality, responsible sourcing and sustainable production.
250 Chefs Create More Than 120 Chocolate Desserts
Behind the airline’s dessert programme is a team of 250 pastry and bakery chefs who develop more than 120 different chocolate desserts each year. Menus are regularly refreshed to reflect seasonal ingredients, destination-specific preferences and evolving customer tastes.
Doxis Bekris, Emirates’ Vice President of Culinary Design, said the airline carefully considers the destinations its customers are travelling to when creating desserts, combining local flavour preferences with premium chocolate to deliver a globally inspired dining experience.
Different Chocolate Experience in Every Cabin
Each cabin class offers its own distinctive chocolate selection. Economy passengers can enjoy desserts such as Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake, while Premium Economy features creations including Chocolate & Pistachio Mousse Cake with apricot curd.
Business Class customers are served refined desserts such as Chocolate Entremet with cocoa glaze and premium chocolates from UAE chocolatier Coco Jalila. In First Class, passengers can enjoy elegantly plated chocolate desserts alongside a rotating collection of luxury chocolates from renowned brands including France’s Valrhona and Belgium’s Canonica and Neuhaus.
Chocolate Starts Before Boarding
The chocolate experience begins before take-off in Emirates’ First and Business Class lounges, where premium travellers can sample an evolving menu of chocolate cakes, mousses and confectionery created in partnership with leading brands including Valrhona, La Rose Noir, Gianni & Gelato, Compartés, Baklava Made Better and French Bakery.
By continually refreshing its chocolate offerings throughout the year, Emirates aims to give frequent flyers a new gourmet experience on every journey while reinforcing its reputation for premium inflight dining.
