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Purpose – The presentation summarizes the state-of-the-art in aircraft end-of-life strategies. Methodology – A literature review is the basic research method utilized. A visit to a dismantling site complemented the findings. Journeys and the Internet show examples of special reuse approaches giving aircraft and components a second life. Findings – In the past aircraft went to "boneyards" at their end-of-live where they were simply left on their own. This should be avoided in the future. Instead aircraft are initially parked and stored. If no further operation is possible, aircraft are dismantled. Components and material is recycled as far as possible. The rest is disposed. Research has been done on the topic by Airbus, Boeing, other industrial companies, and academic institutions. The aircraft recycling industry starts to build up now by the launch of several recycling plants. The aircraft recycling market will slowly mature with associations like the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) and with the publication of guidance material for best practices. The significant higher percentage of composites in modern aircraft types is a challenge for aircraft recycling. Special reuse approaches are only a niche market and not able to cope with the number of aircraft that need to be decommissioned each year. Value – The presentation gives a year 2022 overview on the state-of-the-art of aircraft end-of-life handling with many pictures., Hamburg Aerospace Lecture Series --- Collection of Presentations --- http://www.AeroLectures.de

Purpose - The report summarizes the state-of-the-art in aircraft end-of-life strategies. A focus is on latest aircraft types with a high percentage of composite materials. --- Methodology - A literature review is the basic research method utilized. Apart from books, journals, conference proceedings, and dissertations, also technical reports and industrial news have been included into the search results. The field of aircraft end-of-life is still comparatively small, resulting in a manageable amount of literature addressing the topic directly. --- Findings - Research has been done on the topic by Airbus, Boeing, other industrial companies, and academic institutions. A market for recycled material is missing. Regulations about aircraft recycling are strongly needed but are not foreseeable in the near future. Nevertheless, the trend goes to extended producer responsibility. The aircraft recycling industry starts to build up now by the launch of several recycling plants. The aircraft recycling market will slowly mature with associations like the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) and with the publication of guidance material for best practices. The significant higher percentage of composites in modern aircraft types is a challenge for aircraft recycling. --- Research limitations - The study provides only an overview on the aircraft end-of-life sector. Further research needs to be done on individual specific aspects. --- Value - The paper gives a year 2020 update on the state-of-the-art of aircraft end-of-life handling, including an overview on composite recycling regarding latest aircraft types.