Whether it's mastering hydroponic farming, meticulously tracking food waste or helping to create new packaging materials, many airlines and suppliers are relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to improve their sustainability credentials. In this article, APEX Insights takes a look at some of the most exciting ways airlines are using AI to reduce emissions when it comes to in-flight service.
Back in 2018, APEX Insights covered the news regarding Emirates Flight Catering's (EKFC) plans to open the world's largest indoor vertical farm in partnership with Crop One Holdings. After challenges due to the pandemic, the farm finally opened in July 2022 and now supplies EKFC's 100+ airline customers with leafy greens including lettuces, arugula and spinach.
The food is grown using a closed-loop system that requires 95% less water than conventional agriculture, because when the water vaporizes it is recovered and recycled into the system, saving an estimated 250 million litres of water each year compared to outdoor traditional farming. It also uses no herbicides or pesticides.
In February 2024, EKFC announced it had fully acquired the vertical farm, known as Emirates Bustanica, making it a UAE-owned company. Since the outset, Emirates Bustanica says it has relied on "machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other patented technologies."
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