Lufthansa uses artificial intelligence to reduce food waste on board
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Civil Aviation Resources Network, April 29, 2025: According to foreign media reports, Lufthansa Group recently disclosed that it is using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to reduce waste caused by overproduction of in-flight meals while reducing operating costs. This internally developed software is called "Tray Tracker" and was developed by the Lufthansa Group's technical team to accurately measure and reduce the number of in-flight meals that are not eaten and need to be recycled.
The application is used in the washing process of the group's flights: after the dishes are returned to the dishwashing line, the staff scans the dishes with a mobile device. The artificial intelligence built into the system can recognize whether the meal has been fully eaten, partially eaten or not touched at all. Tray Tracker was developed by Lufthansa's Digital Catering Analytics Team and its subsidiary zeroG.
The system also takes into account the route, cabin class and the meal plan used to generate detailed reports broken down by region and route. Lufthansa Group said that with the help of these insights, meal portions and choices can be further optimized in the future. At the same time, the system also helps to reduce carbon emissions - avoiding overloading of meals can reduce the total weight of the aircraft, thereby reducing the transportation and consumption of the required fuel, indirectly reducing the overall carbon footprint.
The technology has been in use at the Frankfurt base since mid-2024. At present, Lufthansa has also introduced this AI system in the catering unit of Munich Airport to scan the dishes collected from flights arriving from Munich Airport.
According to a statement released by Lufthansa Group on April 28, 2025, Tray Tracker will also be promoted and used in other airlines and operating locations in the future. Lufthansa Group currently owns several major European airlines and their subsidiaries, including Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airlines and Discover Airlines.
In addition to Tray Tracker, Lufthansa Group also launched another anti-food waste project "Pendle" based on machine learning in 2024. The project was initiated by the Lufthansa Innovation Hub and uses algorithms to analyze data such as flight times, routes and past meal needs to help optimize meal loading. The group said that it plans to interconnect and integrate the two projects Tray Tracker and Pendle in the future.
In addition to the above two key projects, Lufthansa Group has also taken a number of measures to minimize on-board meal waste and optimize the meal preparation process. For example, passengers on short-haul and medium-haul flights with Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines can pre-order the meals they need, and on the last flight of the day, they can purchase all remaining fresh meals at a discounted price through the "to go" service.
In addition, on intercontinental routes, first-class and business-class passengers can pre-select their main dishes before departure, which also helps reduce waste caused by redundant meal preparation. At the same time, the Group continues to promote environmentally friendly packaging alternatives. Since 2022, one-third of single-use plastic and aluminum products have been replaced by more environmentally friendly materials.