Titanium alloy serves as a core strategic material in the aviation field, its processing stage generates a substantial amount of return materials, this is primarily due to the relatively low material utilization rate. These return materials are highly enriched with crucial elements such as titanium, aluminum, and vanadium, thus possessing extremely high recycling value at the aviation grade level. Based on an in-depth review of both domestic and international literature, and practical applications in the aviation industry, this paper systematically summarizes the technological advancements across the entire chain of titanium alloy return materials, encompassing waste collection, pretreatment, remelting and regeneration processes, and their subsequent high-end applications. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of the distinctive key technology systems specific to titanium alloy return materials in the aviation field. By doing so, the paper clearly identifies the current bottlenecks in the application of titanium alloy return materials within the domestic aviation sector, and the disparities compared to developed foreign countries. Furthermore, the future development direction and challenges of domestic aerospace titanium alloy scrap are analyzed from four aspects: standard system, technological breakthroughs, industrial collaboration, and scale-up development. It underscores the strategic significance of the recycling and application of titanium alloy return materials in terms of cost reduction within the aviation industry and ensuring the security of the titanium material supply chain. Ultimately, this paper aims to provide valuable references for the engineering-scale application of titanium alloy return materials in the aviation field.