How Aircraft Are Recycled

Retirement Process

A commercial airliner has a typical service life of 20–30 years or 60,000–90,000 flight cycles, whichever comes first. Aircraft retire when maintenance costs exceed the economic value of continued operations — typically when major structural checks (D-checks) become too expensive relative to residual value, or when fuel costs on older jets erode route profitability.

Once the retirement decision is made, the aircraft is defueled, drained of hydraulic fluid and oil, and either flown or ferried to a storage or dismantling facility. If leased (roughly 50% of the world fleet), the lessor coordinates the process and may redirect the aircraft to a lower-cost operator before final retirement.

Storage (Boneyards)

Many aircraft spend months or years in desert storage — nicknamed "boneyards" — before a final fate is determined. The dry, hot climate prevents corrosion and bacterial growth. The world's most famous boneyards include:

• Pinal Airpark (Marana, Arizona, USA): One of the largest commercial aircraft storage sites; home to hundreds of widebodies at any given time
• Mojave Air and Space Port (California, USA): Mixes storage with maintenance and filming use
• Teruel Airport (Spain): Europe's primary commercial aircraft storage and recycling hub; certified under the AFRA recycling standard
• Alice Springs Airport (Australia): Regional option for Asia-Pacific operators

During COVID-19 (2020–2021), over 16,000 aircraft were in storage simultaneously, accelerating retirement decisions and creating a surge in dismantling activity through 2023.

Part Recovery

Before an aircraft is scrapped, usable components are harvested in a process called part-out. Engines are the most valuable items — a serviceable CFM56 can sell for $2–5 million on the used parts market. Landing gear, avionics, actuators, APUs, and cabin interiors are also recovered and re-certified for installation on other aircraft. The global used serviceable material (USM) market was valued at approximately $4.5 billion in 2023, growing as airlines seek to reduce MRO costs.

Material Recycling

After usable parts are removed, the airframe is dismantled. Key materials:

• Aluminium alloys (40–70% by weight): Highly recyclable — can be remelted with only 5% of the energy needed for primary production
• CFRP composites (15–50% on modern aircraft): The most challenging; cannot be remelted. Options include mechanical grinding (downcycled), thermal pyrolysis (recovers fibres), or solvolysis (recovers fibres and matrix). Active research area.
• Titanium: High value; recycled via vacuum arc remelting
• Copper wiring: Highly recyclable; stripped and sold as scrap

Recycling Rate

The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) states that modern aircraft can achieve 85–90% material recovery by weight, with ambitions to reach 95%+ by 2030. The main barrier to the last 10–15% is composite materials and hazardous waste (fuel residues, hydraulic fluid). Airbus's TARMAC Aerosave partnership targets 95% recyclability for A350 and A320neo aircraft.

Notable Sites

Teruel, Spain is Europe's most active commercial aircraft recycling hub, handling several hundred aircraft per year with full traceability documentation. Air Salvage International (Cotswold Airport, UK), Jet Aircraft Maintenance (Marana, USA), and ST Engineering Aerospace (Singapore) are also significant operators. Around 8,000–10,000 aircraft are expected to retire in the 2025–2035 decade as the pre-COVID fleet ages out.