KLM Innovates with AI to Slash In-Flight Food Waste

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is pioneering the battle against food waste with a groundbreaking application of artificial intelligence (AI). The airline has successfully integrated AI to fine-tune meal predictions for its flights, leading to a dramatic reduction in food waste. Through meticulous analysis and prediction of boarding passengers, KLM has managed to reduce food waste by an impressive 63%, equivalent to saving more than 100,000 kg of meals annually.

Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM, emphasizes the airline's commitment to sustainability and operational efficiency, stating, "Investments in digital technology are a priority for KLM. The application of artificial intelligence contributes enormously to improving our flight operations and making them more sustainable. Combatting food waste is a good example of this, resulting in tens of thousands fewer meals being wasted on our flights each year."

This innovative step forward was made possible by TRAYS, an AI model developed specifically for KLM's catering needs. Created in collaboration with Kickstart AI—a joint initiative by leading Dutch companies including KLM, bol.com, Ahold Delhaize, NS, and ING—TRAYS leverages historical data to predict the exact number of passengers boarding each flight. This prediction begins 17 days before departure and is fine-tuned up to 20 minutes before takeoff, ensuring the highest accuracy in meal preparation and thus significantly minimizing waste.

Sander Stomph, CEO and co-founder of Kickstart AI, shared his enthusiasm for the project: "We are pleased that we have been able to make a valuable contribution to this important project for KLM. Our goal with Kickstart AI is to accelerate the adoption of AI in the Dutch business community and we look forward to working closely with Dutch companies to make this happen."

The effectiveness of this approach is particularly evident on KLM's intercontinental flights from Schiphol, where it has led to 2.5 fewer meals—or 1.3 kg—being discarded per flight. Over the course of a year, this adds up to a significant environmental and economic gain across all KLM flights catered from Schiphol.

Beyond catering, KLM is exploring the potential of AI across various facets of its operations, from enhancing aircraft maintenance to optimizing flight schedules in anticipation of bad weather, and even offering personalized travel tips to customers. This holistic application of AI not only underscores KLM's leadership in innovation but also its dedication to a more sustainable and efficient future in aviation.