NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 21 – KLM Airlines is working on using artificial intelligence (AI) to minimize food waste by accurately estimating the meal quantities required for each flight.
Since leveraging the AI model, KLM has witnessed 63 percent less food wasted per passenger, considering that some passengers don’t show up or arrive late for their flight.
TRAYS, KLM’s new AI model, which is tailored for catering and forecasting passenger numbers based on historical data, showed the largest improvements on intercontinental KLM flights from Schiphol, where 2.5 fewer meals (1.3 kg) needed to be thrown away per flight.
On an annual basis, this amounts to a savings of 111,000 kg in meals across all KLM flights that are catered from Schiphol.
The Meals on Board System (MOBS) then uses these predictions to provide separate forecasts for the Business, Premium Comfort, and Economy classes.
The prediction using the AI model starts 17 days before departure and continues until 20 minutes before the flight departs to give the most accurate possible number of passengers predicted for the entire catering process from purchasing to loading, thus preventing a surplus of meals.
The TRAYS model was launched at the end of last year by Kickstart AI, assembling talent from leading companies, including KLM, Bol, Ahold Delhaize, NS, and ING.
“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,” said Sander Stomph, the CEO and co-founder of Kickstart AI.
KLM also uses AI across various business areas, including smarter aircraft maintenance and predicting bad weather for optimal scheduling, in addition to sending out personalized travel tips for customers post-booking.
