For brake and clutch components of aircraft, which require higher mechanical strength and wear resistance, lightweight aluminum composites were developed by infusing solid lubricant. In this study, hybrid composites were developed using the powder metallurgy route, using aluminum alloy AA356 and various amounts of zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt.%) as reinforcements. A solid lubricant, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), at a fixed 5 wt.% is considered. Following the appropriate ASTM guidelines, the specimens were mechanically characterized by measuring their density, porosity, micro-hardness, compression strength, impact strength, and flexural strength, among other properties. The findings showed that the composites' physical and mechanical behaviour were greatly affected by the addition of ZrO₂.Porosity increased as a result of particle clustering and interfacial voids, while density increased gradually as ceramic content increased. Consistently increasing ZrO₂ addition led to micro-hardness improvements; at 20 wt.% reinforcement, values reached their maximum, indicating that the hard ceramic phase contributed to better surface resistance. The best balance between particle reinforcement and matrix continuity was suggested by the compression and flexural strengths peaking at 15 wt.% ZrO₂.. However, when the addition was raised to 20 wt.%, brittleness and porosity began to marginally deteriorate. Unreinforced and lower ZrO₂ composites had superior toughness in impact strength testing, whereas materials with a greater ceramic content had a poorer energy absorption capacity. The 5 wt.% hBN improved fracture arresting capabilities and helped load transmission over the interface. This study reveals that AA356/ZrO₂-hBN hybrid composites have good hardness and compressive strength improvements, with 15 wt.% ZrO₂ being the best composition because it strikes a good balance between strength, toughness, and wear resistance