Airbus and Virgin Atlantic are testing an AI system called “Smart Catering” that uses cameras and crew devices to track which in-flight meals are taken or left uneaten in real time. The goal is to reduce the massive amount of airline food waste – millions of tons annually – by improving how much food is loaded onto each flight. The system collects detailed consumption data and feeds it into analytics tools so airlines can better predict demand by route and passenger behavior. Early trials on long-haul flights show it can accurately monitor inventory and potentially cut waste by double-digit percentages. It also gives cabin crew useful information about meals, like ingredients and allergens, improving service efficiency.

The idea is practical and relatively low-friction since it doesn’t require major hardware changes, which makes adoption more likely. However, its impact depends heavily on consistent crew usage and high-quality data, which can be unrealistic in real-world conditions. It also doesn’t address regulatory barriers that force uneaten food to be discarded, limiting how much waste reduction is actually achievable. Additionally, passenger behavior can be unpredictable, so even strong forecasting won’t eliminate surplus entirely. Overall, it’s a smart incremental improvement, but not a complete solution to airline food waste.