Constellium and TARMAC Aerosave, a specialist in aircraft & engine storage, maintenance, and eco-responsible dismantling, announced the successful recycling and remelting of aluminum from end-of-life aircraft into new, high-performance material suitable for future aerospace applications.

This milestone highlights the potential of aluminum to support circular economy goals in aerospace, without compromising material performance. Following months of collaborative research and development, supported in particular by Airbus and ValoER, Constellium has successfully remelted aluminum recovered by TARMAC Aerosave from retired commercial aircraft, producing material that meets the stringent performance requirements for new aircraft manufacturing.

The next step will be to scale up this process for industrial application and to extend it to any aluminum alloy used in metallic aircraft, further demonstrating the full recyclability of end-of-life metallic airframes.

At Constellium, recycling is at the core of what we do. We have extensive experience in giving aluminum an endless life across various industries. What makes this initiative truly exciting is that it demonstrates - through a real-world example - that even complex aerospace aluminum alloys from end-of-life aircraft can be fully recycled into material suitable for new aerospace applications. It’s a proof point for the circular economy in aviation.

—Philippe Hoffmann, President of Constellium’s Aerospace and Transportation business unit

Aluminum recycling uses only 5% of the energy required for primary production and emits 95% fewer CO₂ emissions. Recycling also protects resources and reduces waste, making it a powerful lever for improving the sustainability of the aerospace industry.