A method is described for smelting fragmentized aluminum scrap, with the aluminum scrap to be smelted being molten in a furnace after thermal pre-treatment in a hot-gas stream. In order to provide advantageous process conditions it is proposed that the aluminum scrap is subjected at first in a continuous flow of material to the thermal treatment and is smelted thereafter, and that from the hot gas stream guided in a circulation for the thermal treatment of the aluminum scrap a partial stream is branched off and is guided into the furnace.