The Coming In-Flight Service Revolution

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The Coming In-Flight Service Revolution

Those in the know understand that airline catering is a high-stakes, highly complex operation. Where passengers see a simple meal tray, industry experts see the culmination of a logistical puzzle of staggering proportions. 

Each tray includes multiple elements sourced from different suppliers: entrées, salads, desserts, and even cutlery may come from across several continents. All of these components must arrive on time, meet stringent safety standards, and fit seamlessly into tight galleys, all while accommodating passenger demands for taste and safety.

Airlines face unique challenges in this process. Flavor profiles must compensate for altitude-induced taste changes, and frozen meals—the most cost-effective option—must retain their quality after reheating. Ensuring the right number of meals, loaded correctly for hundreds of passengers, adds yet another layer of complexity. Even small inefficiencies can cascade into significant costs or operational disruptions.

Today, solutions like in-flight catering software are changing the game. By automating workflows, these solutions make it possible for three people to handle what used to require a team of 20.

This software audits every flight in real-time by analyzing flight reports for non-compliant issues such as delays, incorrect quantities, or improper loading. When flagged, these items are addressed more efficiently, boosting accountability while saving time and expense. Effectively, every flight is now an automated audit, providing new levels of oversight, efficiency and accountability.

Despite this, a surprising number of airlines still rely heavily on manual processes and fragmented systems. Many are paralyzed by the complexity of their inflight catering systems, and their leaders have been burned by failed software implementations in the past. This puts them at risk of being left even further behind by the next technological tsunami transforming the industry—the rise of artificial intelligence.

AI represents the future of airline catering, and is already yielding big returns for pioneers. Dutch carrier KLM, for example, has cut its food waste by 60% by harnessing AI to more accurately predict passenger numbers.

Soon, AI systems will allow managers to ask natural-language questions like, “What are the consumption trends for Flight 123?” or “How can we optimize meal loading for Route X?”

AI-powered tools will also calculate the true cost-to-carry for every flight, empowering data-driven decisions once possible only with large analytics teams. This will streamline operations, reduce waste, and enhance the passenger experience.

It’s a big part of why we’re so excited about the near future of airline catering. And we’re excited to have you onboard.