Although certain CFRTP parts can be manufactured into net shape or assembled through welding , mechanical fastening through riveting holes still remains an imperative joining process , particularly for load bearing components and joints consisting of dissimilar materials (e.g. metal/CFRTP). However, its machining behaviour is rarely studied in the literature . Drilling, being the most efficient hole making technique, is widely used in the aircraft assembly process . However, similar to drilling of conventional thermoset CF/epoxy, CFRTP suffers from hole damage (such as delamination damage, fibre pull-out, surface cavity and thermal damage ) when improper / sub-optimal drilling conditions are deployed. These damages will inevitably affect the hole quality, lower the component's mechanical performance and subsequently compromise the aircraft reliability. Unsatisfactory hole quality (e.g. delamination damage) can account up to 60% part rejection in aircraft assembly , therefore optimizing drilling parameters for new generation CFRTP plays a crucial role in low-damage, high-efficiency and cost effective future aircraft sustainable manufacturing.