China's aviation industry expands use of AI and robots in its operations

China's aviation industry is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and passenger services, with applications ranging from automated meal preparation to aircraft maintenance showcased at a major industry gathering in Beijing.

The fourth China Air Transport Association aviation conference — which opened on Thursday and runs through Saturday — focuses on integrating AI into civil aviation.

Among the exhibits are robotic arms that assemble airline meals and a four-legged robot being tested for airport delivery tasks, offering a look at how the technology could ease staff workloads.

At China Eastern Airlines' Pudong catering center in Shanghai, four robotic arms work together to place food into meal containers or onto plates. The system has produced more than 600,000 meals in over two months. During continuous operation, an assembled meal comes off the line every four seconds on average.