China’s amphibious AG600 aircraft greenlighted for mass production
China’s domestically developed AG600 ‘Kunlong’ amphibious aircraft has officially entered mass production after receiving a production certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Wednesday.
The production certificate confirms that the applicant’s quality system meets airworthiness regulations and ensures consistent manufacturing in line with design standards, according to an expert from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the aircraft’s developer and the country’s leading aircraft manufacturer.
Slightly larger than most single-aisle commercial jets, the AG600 measures 38.9 meters in length, 11.7 meters in height, and has a wingspan of 38.8 meters, according to AVIC data.
The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 60 metric tons and a maximum range of 4,500 kilometers. Notably, it can carry up to 12 metric tons of water for firefighting missions.
“The AG600 is a plane that can swim and a ship that can fly,” said Huang Lingcai, chief designer of the AG600 series, in a previous interview with Xinhua.
The AG600 features a unique configuration, with an aircraft-shaped upper fuselage and a ship-bottom-shaped lower body. Each wing is equipped with a float over 4 meters long to prevent the aircraft from overturning while taxiing on water, enhancing operational safety.
The aircraft’s development involved hundreds of supporting units and tens of thousands of components—highlighting China’s broad capabilities in collaborative design, advanced manufacturing, supply chain management, and quality control for large, specialized aircraft.
AVIC experts emphasized that the AG600 program has laid a foundation of replicable management practices and technical standards for future domestic projects of this scale.
One AVIC expert noted that the aircraft’s development represents a breakthrough for China’s civil aviation sector, having established a complete system for designing, producing, integrating, testing, and supporting large amphibious aircraft. The project also pioneered a “small core, large collaboration” model—bringing together national resources across industries.
Looking ahead, AVIC said future developments will focus on enhancing China’s emergency response and disaster relief capabilities. Plans include advancing the AG600’s model series, expanding aviation emergency service networks, and building a comprehensive rescue equipment ecosystem centered on the aircraft.
Development of the AG600 began in 2009. It completed its maiden flight in 2017, performed its first water takeoff from a reservoir in 2018, flew over the sea in 2020, and carried out firefighting missions by 2023.
Source: GLOBALink Xinhua Global service
