Etihad Airways Gluten-Free Review: Paris - Abu Dhabi (December 2025)

Location: Paris - Abu Dhabi | Date: December 2025 | Airline: Etihad Airways

For the most accurate and up-to-date information visit the special dietary page on Etihad Airways Website: Request a special meal when flying with Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways Gluten-Free Quick Overview:

Pros:

• No reaction.

• The food was very nice.

• Meals were spaced out nicely.

Cons:

• Can't guarantee cross contamination.

• Incorrectly handed a regular meal containing gluten in it. Etihad could do with having a better procedure to easily identify those with special requirements.

A Coeliac Traveller's Tip:

Proceed with caution. The food on board was good; however, the airline can not guarantee cross-contamination. Additionally, make sure to always double check meals, as I was handed an incorrect meal during the flight. Finally, make sure to prebook gluten-free meals at least 24 hours in advance.

Gluten-Free Etihad Airways Full Review:

Good morning readers,

Welcome back to Gluten-Free Travel Reviews. Today we are onboard Etihad Flight EY32 from Paris to Abu Dhabi. We are also flying on the giant of the skies, the Airbus A380, which—as an avid aviation enthusiast—is quite exciting in and of itself. So, let’s get to the gate and get ready to fly!

Before take-off:

It is important to note that any special dietary meals (including gluten-free meals) need to be pre-ordered at least 24 hours before your flight. This can be done on the Etihad Airways website through the Manage Your Booking section, and you will need to select the meal for each leg of your journey. Furthermore, Etihad Airways makes it clear that while the meal is made without gluten, they can not guarantee that there won't be traces.

Etihad Airways Gluten-Free Meals:

The flight from Paris to Abu Dhabi is 6 hours and 50 minutes long: a decent length, but not quite a long-haul service. As a result, Etihad serves two meals throughout the flight—a main meal followed by a smaller meal toward the end of the journey. This felt like the right amount of food for a flight of this duration.

The first gluten-free meal arrived about an hour after take-off. The main component consisted of rice and fish covered in a tomato-based sauce, with olives and peas sprinkled across the top. This was a pleasant combination and quite enjoyable. The meal was completed with a salad (cucumber, tomato, lettuce, and more olives), a gluten-free bread roll, and a fruit salad (pineapple, cantaloupe, and rockmelon). The salad was fuss-free and fresh, and the fruit salad was light and refreshing. Unfortunately, the bread roll was disappointing, being rather dry and crumbly. I have had better gluten-free bread rolls on other Etihad flights, highlighting how quality can vary depending on the route.

The first of two gluten-free meals.

Not long before landing, we were served the second and final meal of the flight. This consisted of a sandwich filled with pesto and roasted vegetables (capsicum and tomatoes). The sandwich had a lovely burst of flavour and was genuinely delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it made for a perfect pre-landing snack.

Our pre landing gluten-free sandwich. Was much nicer than it looks.

Service:

While Etihad does provide enjoyable gluten-free meals, their procedures around special dietary requirements could be further refined. The first meal service there was no issue. Passengers with special dietary requirements were served first, with meals delivered directly to seats before the main service began. This is consistent with many other airlines and is something I appreciate. When the meal was delivered, the flight attendant confirmed both the passenger and the meal were correct. Each special meal also arrived with a small placard indicating the specific dietary requirement (see image below).

The placard that accompanies gluten-free meals. It usually consists of your name and seat number (these have been removed for privacy reasons).

However, this process was not followed during the second service. All meals were served at the same time, and as a result, I was initially handed a regular snack containing gluten. The flight attendant quickly realised the mistake (they remembered serving me an allergen meal earlier in the flight) and promptly took it back. They apologised and soon returned with my correct gluten-free option. It was an honest and easily made mistake, and thankfully it did not end badly. However, this is something I have experienced on other Etihad flights as well, and I feel it is worth mentioning. Some airlines place markers on the back of seats for passengers with special dietary requirements, providing a quick and clear alert for all cabin crew. This may be something Etihad could consider to help prevent similar issues in the future and ensure passengers do not accidentally receive the wrong meal.

Conclusion:

Before we knew it, we were descending and our A380 touched down at Zayed International Airport, marking our arrival in Abu Dhabi. Overall, the food on this flight was very good, and I enjoyed both meals. Being briefly handed food containing gluten was not ideal, but mistakes do happen, and thankfully this one did not have serious consequences. It serves as an important reminder to always double-check the meals you are served.

This article was correct at time of writing in December 2025.

Other Gluten-Free Airline Reviews:

This flight was only the first leg of our journey back home to Melbourne. To read about our flight from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne, please click on the link below: Etihad Airways Gluten-Free Long-Haul Review: Abu Dhabi - Melbourne (December 2025).

Singapore Airlines (Melbourne - Singapore): Singapore Airlines Gluten-Free Review - Melbourne to Singapore

Singapore Airlines (Singapore - Seattle): Being Gluten-free on a long-haul flight - A Singapore Airlines Gluten-Free Review

Virgin Australia: Gluten-Free Airline Review: Virgin Australia Melbourne to Cairns Review