KLM has begun using artificial intelligence as a tool to combat food waste on board.
Artificial intelligence technology is being used to help determine how many meals should be loaded for a particular flight, based on the fact that not everyone who has booked ends up flying.
The Dutch airline said that “depending on the class, between 3 and 5 percent of booked passengers do not arrive (on time) for the flight,” so it is using the technology to predict the number of passengers who will board a flight. “based on historical data.”
The inflight dining system receives the expected number of passengers per flight with separate forecasts for business, premium economy and economy classes, with TRAYS artificial intelligence technology starting predictions 17 days before departure and refining them up to 20 minutes before departure of flight.
KLM said the system “means that the most accurate possible number of passengers is predicted during the entire catering process, from purchasing to loading, thus avoiding over-meals.”
The airline said the technology achieves up to 63 per cent less food waste based on the expected number of passengers per flight, preventing 111,000kg of in-flight meals from being wasted each year.
More specifically, KLM stated that the biggest improvement can be seen on KLM's intercontinental flights from Schiphol, where 2.5 fewer meals (1.3 kg) have to be thrown away per flight.
TRAYS technology is just one of several ways KLM employs artificial intelligence in its operations. AI programs are used to simulate expected days of bad weather and to provide customers with personalized travel advice after booking a flight.
And last year, KLM's hub airport, Amsterdam Schiphol, announced a partnership with technology company Pangiam to explore how artificial intelligence could be used to speed up the process of baggage security checks.
Amsterdam Schiphol to explore using AI to speed up baggage screening
Commenting on the news, KLM CEO Marjan Rintel said:
“Investments in digital technology are a priority for KLM. The application of artificial intelligence contributes enormously to improving our air operations and making them more sustainable.
“The fight against food waste is a good example of this, with tens of thousands of fewer meals being wasted on our flights every year.”
klm.com
