Etihad is turning to technology to reduce food waste on flights.
Etihad is turning to technology to reduce food waste on flights.
Etihad is turning to technology to reduce food waste on flights.
Etihad is turning to technology to reduce food waste on flights.

Etihad will use AI to reduce food waste on flights


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Etihad Airways is to use machine learning to help tackle the problem of food wase on its flights.

The national airline of the UAE started a project that makes use of computer vision and machine learning to cut down on the volume of food wasted on flights. The project is in partnership with Lumitics, a Singapore food technology start-up.

Using AI and image recognition, unconsumed meals from flights will be tracked when Etihad jets land at airports. Courtesy Etihad
Using AI and image recognition, unconsumed meals from flights will be tracked when Etihad jets land at airports. Courtesy Etihad

Economy-class meals served on Etihad flights will be tracked to record food consumption patterns and waste levels across the airline's network. This will be done using Lumitics' Insight Lite product, which will monitor the number of uneaten meals on a plane when it reaches an airport.

The programme uses artificial intelligence and image recognition to identify the types and quantity of unconsumed food, without the need for human interaction.

This data will be used by Etihad in plans to reduce food waste, improve meal planning on a granular level and lower operating costs. So, for instance, if X amount of chicken dishes are always left uneaten on flights from Chicago, they will reduce that meal on that service.

1.14 million tonnes wasted every year

About 20 per cent of all food produced by in-flight catering teams is wasted every year. Unsplash
About 20 per cent of all food produced by in-flight catering teams is wasted every year. Unsplash

In 2017, the International Air Transport Association found that 1.14 million tonnes of food was wasted from in-flight catering and about 20 per cent of all food produced by in-flight catering teams is wasted every year.

The problem is something airlines are aware of and Etihad began its partnership with Lumitics this year, before aviation was widely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. With many routes now restarting, Etihad is keen to move forward with the project.

“As the airline scales up the flight operations again, it is exciting to restart the project and continue the work that had begun," said Mohammad Al Bulooki, chief operating officer at Etihad Aviation Group.

Rayner Loi, co-founder of Lumitics, said "tackling food waste is one of the largest cost-saving opportunities for any business producing and serving food".

"Not only does it make business sense, it is also good for the environment. We are excited to be working with Etihad Airways to help achieve its goals in reducing food waste," he said.

Sustainable flying

Etihad has introduced several sustainable initiatives including participation in Boeing's EcoDemonstrator programme. Courtesy Etihad
Etihad has introduced several sustainable initiatives including participation in Boeing's EcoDemonstrator programme. Courtesy Etihad

Etihad's food waste programme is one of several sustainability focused initiatives the airline is undertaking.

Last year, the Abu Dhabi airline operated a single-use-plastic-free flight from the UAE to Australia and introduced its Etihad Greenliner programme to help improve operating efficiency and sustainable practice in aviation.

Most recently, Etihad partnered with Boeing and Nasa to use its newest Dreamliner as a test bed for technologies that can help reduce fuel consumption, noise pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

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BMW X7 xDrive 50i

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Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission

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Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

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Name: N2 Technology

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Based: Dubai, UAE

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The specs
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The squad traveling to Brazil:

Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.

If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

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Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

History's medical milestones

1799 - First small pox vaccine administered

1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 - Discovery of x-rays

1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 - Structure of DNA discovered

1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place 

1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Final round

25 under -  Antoine Rozner (FRA)

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What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
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