Aircraft materials are highly vulnerable to atmospheric corrosion, particularly in coastal environments where chloride deposition and humidity are elevated. This study investigates the influence of microclimate on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel (AISI 1006) and aluminum alloy (AA2024) under aircraft parking conditions along Korea’s east and west coasts. Field exposure tests were conducted for one year at varying coastal distances (0.5–3.3 km) and sheltering conditions (sheltered vs. unsheltered). Environmental parameters including temperature, relative humidity, time of wetness (TOW), chloride deposition rate, and SO₂ concentration were monitored and correlated with material-specific corrosion responses. Results revealed significant regional differences: the west coast exhibited higher average humidity, longer TOW, and greater chloride deposition compared to the east coast, leading to accelerated corrosion. Carbon steel specimens showed measurable weight loss, with corrosion rates strongly dependent on TOW and chloride deposition. AA2024 specimens demonstrated pronounced pitting susceptibility, with pit density up to four times higher in unsheltered west coast sites compared to unsheltered east coast sites. Shelter facilities substantially reduced both corrosion rate and pitting density, confirming their protective effectiveness. Statistical analysis revealed material-specific environmental dependencies: steel corrosion strongly correlated with chloride deposition (r = 0.97), whereas AA2024 pitting correlated more strongly with TOW (R² = 76.44%, p = 0.001) than with CDR (R² = 58.07%, p = 0.010). Comparative analysis of ISO 9223 predictions showed strong agreement on the west coast (R² = 98.79%, p=0.0016) but poor correlation on the east coast (R² = 57.80%, p=0.3074), suggesting limitation of models in complex environments like inland wind affected coastal area. The findings underscore the importance of microclimate-specific monitoring for aircraft maintenance, particularly in aircraft maintenance protocol optimization such as washing interval. This study provides a quantitative basis for improving corrosion risk assessment and maintenance strategies in coastal aviation environments.
