Aerospace, the main driver for innovation in composites

York Roth (Airbus), Lars Larsen (DLR), Joost Koopman (GKN Fokker Aerospace) and Benjamin Diehl (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) are receiving the JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025 on behalf of the MFFD project partners

A major step forward in sustainable aircraft design is being driven by collaborative efforts across Europe. Among the most notable projects is the ‘5 kg Sidewall’ initiative, which resulted in a sidewall structure that is 10% lighter than the lightest existing solution on the market. This was achieved by using lighter, industrially available materials to reduce the weight of sandwich components. The final configuration delivered a 24% weight reduction compared to the standard A350 layup, replacing it with lighter honeycomb cores, slightly thinner laminates and lightweight décor foils. Contributors such as CTC (Airbus) in Stade, FACC, Fill in Austria and DLR explored the lightweight vs recycling trade-off from 3 different strategic angles, aiming to define the most impactful pathways towards eco-efficient aircraft cabins. According to Tassilo Witte, head of IF cabin structures & systems at CTC GmbH, the approach emphasises both practical feasibility and longterm environmental gains. In addition to the focus on weight savings, the project also introduced recycled materials as part of its sustainability goals.

Since 2009, all Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) used in the aircraft have been systematically recycled at Airbus in Stade, underscoring a long-standing commitment to revive efficiency and circular economy principles in aerospace manufacturing. A 3-year research alliance between Germany and Japan drove to the development of a structural recyclate and preparations for an industrial application are on the way. The 3rd approach is about making the components fundamentally more recyclable, Witte explains. The idea behind is to switch from non-recyclable materials to materials that can be recycled. A sandwich from thermoplastics and glass fibres can be processed into injection moulding materials, which is then used for the next cycle of cabin parts, for example brackets. Thermoplastic honeycomb cores for lightweight composites that won the JEC innovations award this year (Figure 1) need to be made suitable for flight. “In an ultimate next step, we are looking for new bio-synthetic, bio-based and bio-sourced materials either to produce our component materials or to supply our consumables and support operations,” Witte outlines. “It is always essential to carefully assess the level of effort required to adapt these materials for use in aircraft applications and to meet stringent fi re protection standards.” What are the potential solutions for the future? Hydrogen fuel “from fermentation-based systems, where microorganisms, such as bacteria, break down organic matt er to produce hydrogen.” [1] Another option is non-oil-based kerosene from microalgae [2], for the moment economically still non-viable. Airbus led a CleanSky2/ Clean Aviation funded consortium consisting of 12 different organisations across Europe and, ultimately, delivered the Multifunctional Fuselage Demonstrator MFFD (Figure 2). Th is 8 m x 4 m platform represents the world’s 1st and largest R&T fuselage demonstrator for commercial passenger aircraft made out of thermoplastic composite materials which has been honoured with the JEC award 2025. Key drivers have high-rate manufacturing and automation as well as performance increase through weight reduction which directly translates into less CO2 emissions. In the framework of the conference contribution “Composites take flight: Th e Race for high-volume aerospace”, Dr.-Ing. York C. Roth, R&T technical leader CS2 LPA PF2 Airbus Operations GmbH concluded: “Th e MFFD is a fantastic example of what can be achieved if academia, research centres and industry players align around a common objective. One player alone would never have been able to deliver such a complex large-scale demonstrator.”