Working Towards A 100% Recyclable Aircraft

As part of Montreal Civil Aviation Week, Aero Montreal, the think tank of Quebec's aerospace cluster, last Saturday brought together nearly 400 participants, including students and company, government and academic representatives, at Montreal's Ecole de technologie superieure (ETS) for a case study competition on the development of a 100% recyclable aircraft. A panel of experts awarded top honours to Cyclair project, from Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, while all the participants learned more about this future challenge.

Aircraft recycling is one of the main challenges for the future of the global aerospace industry. Post-secondary and university students from Quebec were asked to develop a sustainable and profitable solution for recycling all the components of an end-of-life aircraft, here in Quebec.

"We are especially proud today to see young people working alongside major players in the industry," says Suzanne M. Benoît, president, Aero Montreal. "This shows that it's important for aerospace industry students to take environmental factors into account as soon as they start their post-secondary studies. The aerospace industry is generating a lot of interest among young people. We need to maintain that passion and support them to ensure a quality and vital succession."

"These kinds of initiatives help to promote the ingenuity of our youth and spark their interest in the aerospace sector," says Suzanne M. Benoit, President of Aero Montreal. "The theme of aircraft recycling is central to tomorrow's challenges. This contest reflects the leadership that our industry is demonstrating when it comes to environmental concerns in aerospace, and is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about this challenge."

Over the past five years, the average lifespan of a commercial aircraft has fallen to 26 years from 31 years, which has accelerated the end of life of these aircraft. About 6,000 commercial aircraft will be decommissioned in the next 20 years while the number of passengers will total 7.3 billion by 2036.

(Source: Montreal Aviation Week news release)

FMI: www.aeromontreal.ca