Constellium partners with Tarmac Aerosave to recycle aluminum from end-of-life aircraft

Constellium and Tarmac Aerosave, a specialist in aircraft and engine storage, maintenance and eco-responsible dismantling, have 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, the partners say in a news release announcing the achievement.

Following months of collaborative research and development, supported in particular by Airbus and ValoER, Paris-based Constellium has remelted aluminum recovered by Tarmac Aerosave from retired commercial aircraft. Constellium says it has produced 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 extend it to any aluminum alloy. 

Tarmac Aerosave, founded by Airbus, Safran Aircraft Engines and Suez, operates Europe’s largest aircraft storage and maintenance facilities across three sites in France and Spain. The company says it also pioneers eco-responsible dismantling processes that maximize material recovery and minimize environmental impact.

“At Constellium, recycling is at the core of what we do,” says Philippe Hoffmann, president of Constellium’s Aerospace and Transportation business unit. “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.”

Tarmac Aerosave President and CEO Alexandre Brun adds, “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. Aluminum is one of the materials that we have always sought to sort and recover in the best possible way in order to increase our recycling rate, which is now more than 92 percent.”