From biometric screening systems and radar installations to flight information displays and hardened network servers, we specialize in the secure decommissioning of aviation electronics using protocols aligned with National Security Agency (NSA) and United States Department of Defense (DoD) standards. Our process covers every stage: on-site asset identification, serialized tracking, data erasure per National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-88 guidelines, documented chain-of-custody logistics, and certified recycling through Responsible Recycling (R2v3) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) compliant vendors.
We’ve supported more than 30 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulated facilities and maintain a verified 99.97 percent success rate in data sanitization across thousands of retired assets. Clients rely on our military-cleared personnel, real-time audit capabilities, and strict adherence to federal and aviation-sector compliance requirements.
Optional services include secure on-site audits, physical drive destruction, and serialized reporting for internal governance or external regulatory review.
Safeguard your systems, protect sensitive data, and streamline electronics retirement with confidence. Reach out today.
Aviation authorities apply strict protocols when retiring electronic systems tied to essential infrastructure. Equipment such as biometric gates, radar installations, body scanners, and passenger check-in terminals often contain both sensitive data and hazardous substances, requiring specialized procedures at end-of-life.
The decommissioning process typically includes the following steps below.
Airports rely on complex electronic systems, including radar arrays, passenger screening tools, surveillance storage, and self-service kiosks, that ultimately reach end-of-life. Their decommissioning and recycling are governed by stringent regulations prioritizing data protection, resource recovery, and environmental responsibility. The following provides a system-level summary of how core technologies are retired throughout the airport ecosystem.
As airports upgrade to digital radar systems, older surveillance and control equipment must be carefully dismantled due to the presence of sensitive electronics, classified components, and hazardous materials such as leaded glass and mercury switches. Certified recyclers recover valuable materials like aluminum, copper, circuit boards, and rare earth magnets, while isolating toxic substances for safe disposal. Environmental safeguards and zero-landfill policies minimize contamination, reduce e-waste, and protect national security.
Vendors compliant with ITAR handle encrypted or data-bearing systems using destruction protocols aligned with NIST SP 800-88. Parts suitable for reuse are repurposed in non-sensitive applications, and the rest are processed for material recovery. This dual-track approach ensures both regulatory compliance and sustainable resource management.
Passenger screening systems, including X-ray scanners, millimeter wave imagers, and puffer devices, are dismantled at end-of-life to recover copper wiring, aluminum housings, rare earth magnets, and radiation detectors. Hazardous components such as leaded glass, mercury switches, and radiation shielding are isolated under strict environmental protocols, while data-bearing modules are destroyed to protect privacy. Certified e-waste recyclers or government-authorized vendors manage the process with oversight from agencies like the EPA and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, reducing environmental impact, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting recovery of critical materials.
Airport surveillance systems store sensitive video data and metadata on hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), digital video recorders (DVRs), and network video recorders (NVRs). At end-of-life, certified vendors destroy data-bearing components using Department of Defense (DoD) 5220.22-M overwriting, degaussing, or shredding to meet National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication (NIST SP) 800-88, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) standards. Devices with residual risk are fully destroyed before recycling.
After sanitization, teams dismantle systems to recover aluminum, copper, rare earth magnets, and circuit boards. They isolate hazardous elements like lithium batteries, lead solder, and mercury switches under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Responsible Recycling (R2v3) certified protocols. Certified recyclers manage the process, ensure compliance, reduce electronic waste (e-waste), and support reuse of critical materials.
Airports deploy passenger-facing technologies such as baggage claim carousels with tracking modules, automated parking systems, flight display boards, and check-in kiosks. As these systems reach end-of-life, they require responsible recycling due to embedded materials like aluminum, copper, and rare earth elements found in sensors, processors, casings, and display panels. Devices that retain user data undergo secure erasure to mitigate privacy risks.
Certified e-waste recyclers handle disassembly, data sanitization, and material recovery under strict environmental and regulatory protocols. Standards such as Responsible Recycling (R2v3), e-Stewards, and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) govern the process. Hazardous components, including lithium batteries and lead solder, are safely removed and processed to prevent contamination.
In 2025, American Airlines decommissioned all gate-side kiosks nationwide, citing sustainability goals and obsolete software. The devices were sent for certified recycling, and remaining supplies were recovered for proper disposal. These upgrades support waste reduction, resource reclamation, and the shift toward more sustainable airport operations.
