Airbus has worked with Virgin Atlantic to conduct inflight trials of Smart Catering, an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven system designed to automatically track meal and beverage consumption on board commercial flights, with the aim of reducing catering waste.
Catering waste is a big issue in aviation. According to data from IATA (the International Air Transport Association), in 2024-2025 the global airline industry generated an estimated 3.6 million tonnes of cabin and catering waste. This volume is projected to potentially double by 2040 if current inflight catering practices are not changed, primarily due to increasing passenger numbers.
The data shows that between 18% and 20% of this waste is unconsumed food and drink, most of which is then either incinerated or sent to landfills in line with strict international regulations. Airbus identified this food waste as a challenge that needs to be addressed to support the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Airbus’s Smart Catering system uses the existing camera on crew tablets or mobile devices to scan meal trays as they are removed from trolleys, and automatically updates the onboard stock level data. Beverage consumption is tracked using the same method. The cabin crew devices also provide data regarding real-time stock location, allergy information and dietary data without requiring manual forms or separate reporting.
The consumption data is transmitted to a ground-based Cloud system, allowing airlines to analyse route-level demand and adjust catering loads accordingly. Airbus says the approach has the potential to yield double-digit reductions in preventable waste through optimising the food and beverages stocked on board.
The system has been assessed by Virgin Atlantic through ground trials at the airline’s cabin mock-up facility near London Gatwick Airport. The initial trials were successful, and the system was then tested in live conditions in 2025 on a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330 operating between London and New York and an A350 between London and Orlando.
Darryl Bailey, head of inflight services at Virgin Atlantic, said, “Collaborating with Airbus on the Smart Catering trials has given us valuable insight into how data and AI can help us better match customer preferences, minimise waste, and operate more efficiently.”