China approves world’s biggest amphibious plane, AG600, for mass production
The home-grown aircraft overcomes final regulatory hurdle as Beijing seeks to reduce dependence on foreign tech
China’s home-grown AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, has been given the green light for mass production, marking a step forward in building an independent and globally competitive aviation industry.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) certified the plane on Wednesday, confirming that its developer, the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic), has established a reliable system to consistently produce aircraft that meet safety standards, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Avic said the approval was a milestone towards a “more high-end and standardised” civil aviation manufacturing sector, and that it “strengthened China’s ability to independently build a complete civil aviation ecosystem”, CCTV reported.
The AG600 is one of three large aircraft developed domestically, alongside the Y-20 strategic transport plane and the C919 narrowbody airliner – both in active service.
China developed the AG600 to meet urgent needs in emergency rescue and natural disaster prevention and control, state media previously reported.