Dutch airline KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has found a clever way to reduce onboard food waste – artificial intelligence algorithms that predict how many passengers will actually show up for a booked flight. As CEO Marjan Rintel explained, “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.”
This AI-powered prediction allows KLM to more accurately cater meals for each flight, calculating quantities separately for business, premium economy, and economy class cabins. Depending on the ticket type, no-show rates typically range from 3-5%. By using historical booking data, the newly developed “TRAYS” AI model forecasts passenger loads starting 17 days before each departure. Updates continue until just 20 minutes before takeoff.
The net result? Up to 63% less leftover meals that have to be thrown away after landing, according to a three-month analysis. The reduction amounts to 2.5 fewer surplus meals per long-haul flight from the airline’s Amsterdam Schiphol hub. In total, KLM expects to save more than 100,000 kg of food waste per year across its global network.
The brains behind the effort is Kickstart AI – an initiative backed by major Dutch companies to promote AI adoption. Sander Stomph, Kickstart’s CEO, said “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.”
Beyond slashing waste, KLM also utilises AI to improve other aspects of its operations. This includes predictive maintenance for aircraft, forecasting weather delays, and providing personalised travel recommendations to customers post-booking. As the airline industry recovers from COVID, clever uses of artificial intelligence like the meal calculator will be crucial for controlling costs while meeting sustainability goals.
