SUSTAINair was an H2020-funded project developing circular economy principles for the aviation and aerospace design, manufacturing, operations and end-of-life phases. 

The waste of high-quality, aerospace-grade materials is one of the biggest challenges to sustainable aerospace engineering. SUSTAINair applied circular economy principles to the design, manufacturing, operations and end-of-life phases of aircraft. This research project aimed to make the entire supply chain ecosystem greener and to set new standards for aerospace manufacturing, enabling an increase in cross-sector synergies.

The project focused on:

• Circular design of individual components and joining technologies for airframe construction (including morphing);
• Real-time structural health monitoring of materials and joints during operations;
• Improved maintenance and repair technologies to extend aircraft life time;
• Rivet removal demonstrator using robotics and water jet cutting for improved recovery of high-quality aluminium recycling materials.

The project provided the aviation sector with a path to a more cost-effective, low-carbon economy, while tackling the increase in resource consumption, waste and emissions.

See the description of the project.