Lufthansa Group has expanded its AI-powered food waste reduction system to Munich following a successful year-long implementation in Frankfurt. The “Tray Tracker” technology uses artificial intelligence to analyze returned meal trays from flights, providing data that helps the airline optimize portion sizes and meal offerings.
The mobile scanning system categorizes returned meals as partially eaten, completely eaten, or untouched, while correlating this information with specific flight routes, travel classes, and meal concepts. This comprehensive data collection enables more precise meal planning, potentially reducing both food waste and carbon emissions through weight optimization.
Developed through a collaboration between Lufthansa Group’s Digital Catering Analytics Team and subsidiary zeroG, the Tray Tracker represents part of a broader technology strategy targeting food waste across the airline’s operations. The company plans to implement the system across additional Lufthansa Group locations and airlines following successful deployments in Frankfurt and Munich.
A complementary initiative called “Pendle,” launched by the Lufthansa Innovation Hub in 2024, employs machine learning algorithms to analyze flight duration, routes, and historical demand patterns to optimize meal loading before departure. The company reports that future plans include linking these two projects to create a more comprehensive food waste management system.
Operational changes support technology implementation
Beyond AI systems, Lufthansa Group has implemented several operational changes to address food waste. Passengers on Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and SWISS short- and medium-haul flights can now pre-order meals, allowing for more accurate provisioning. The airlines also offer end-of-day “to go” options, selling fresh products at reduced prices on final flights to prevent disposal.
For premium class passengers on intercontinental flights, pre-selection of main courses from hub departures further helps reduce overloading through better demand forecasting.
Packaging sustainability initiatives
The airline group reports progress in reducing single-use items alongside its food waste prevention efforts. Since 2022, Lufthansa Group has replaced approximately one-third of single-use plastic and aluminum items with more sustainable alternatives across its flight operations.
These combined initiatives demonstrate how digital technologies can support broader sustainability goals in the aviation sector, where both weight reduction and waste minimization directly impact environmental footprint through fuel consumption and disposal requirements.
