In this study, an optimization of a laser‐based ablation process of aeronautical carbon‐fiber reinforced polymers is aimed via statistical tools such as the design of experiments, the analysis of variance and response surface methodologies. Three basic process parameters and their interactions is under examination that is, the laser beam scanning speed, the pulse repetition frequency and the hatching distance between two scan lines. A green short‐pulsed laser with a central wavelength at 532 nm is for the first time utilized for the ablation task with the purpose of bulk material removal prior to a structural repair. The Box–Behnken Design and a three‐level factorial design are implemented to define the minimum number of experimental trials and build an appropriate test matrix. The results identify the statistically significant parameters that affect five selected responses namely the material removal rate, the shear strength of a stepped‐lap joint and the heat affected zones measured at three locations. Quadratic models are fitted to the experimental data and a near‐optimal solution is identified at the multi‐objective optimization task of laser‐assisted ablation of carbon‐fiber polymer composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3084–3100, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers