Constellium and Tarmac Aerosave announced the successful recycling and remelting of aluminum from end-of-life aircraft into new, high-performance aerospace material.
“At Constellium, recycling is at the core of what we do. We have extensive experience in giving aluminum an endless life across various industries,” said Philippe Hoffmann, president of Constellium’s Aerospace and Transportation business unit. “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.”
The announcement follows months of collaborative research and development with support from Airbus and ValoER. The aluminum, recovered by Tarmac Aerosave from retired commercial aircraft, was successfully remelted and qualified for future aerospace manufacturing. The companies now plan to scale the process for industrial applications and broaden it to additional alloy families.
“The circularity of aeronautical materials is at the heart of Tarmac Aerosave's DNA. It's what built its worldwide reputation as a leader in aircraft recycling, before becoming a one-stop shop,” said Tarmac president and CEO Alexandre Brun. “Aluminium is one of the materials that we have always sought to sort and recover in the best possible way to increase our recycling rate, which is now more than 92%. We’re proud to have joined forces with partners who share our commitment to advancing circular solutions for aviation.”
Aluminum recycling uses just 5% of the energy required for primary aluminum production and cuts CO2 emissions by 95%. With rising demand for lower-carbon solutions across aerospace, this project demonstrates a viable path toward material circularity at scale.