The AG600 is a large seaplane designed for a range of amphibious missions, such as aerial firefighting and maritime search and rescue. 

The start of the AG600¾«¶«Ó°Òµ production follows a ten-year development phase.  

The first test flights of the AG600 started over land in 2017, followed by testing over water from 2020. Aerial firefighting tests with the AG600M version of the aircraft were successfully completed in July 2023 and night flight tests in May 2024. 

China¾«¶«Ó°Òµ AG600M completes maiden takeoff and landing on water

• Essential Aviation

byClement Charpentreau

1 minute read

Production will be carried out in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, by Huanan Aircraft Industry Co., Ltd., ahead of type certification, which is expected to arrive before the end of 2024. 

China¾«¶«Ó°Òµ seaplane program is taking shape in the context of heightened tensions with its neighbors. This reaches beyond issues relating to Taiwan to take in the sovereignty of multiple islands and atolls in the South China Sea and the Western Pacific.  

It is thought that any hypothetical conflict between China and the US and its allies in the region would involve a strong aeronaval component.  

This has prompted the US to renew its interest in amphibious aircraft, with the launch of new research and development programs in this field. These include DARPA¾«¶«Ó°Òµ heavy lift seaplane program and US military interest in the capabilities of Regent¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Seaglider, a wing-on-ground vehicle capable of skimming the surface of the ocean at high speeds. 

The flight took off from Jingmen and landed at Jingzhou, both in Hubei province of Central China, after a flight of one hour and 46 minutes.  

The AS700, which is the first Chinese thrust-vector-control airship to be certified, can carry 10 people, including crew, in a single capsule. With a maximum takeoff weight of 4,150 kg and a maximum flight range of 700 km, the AS700 can stay aloft for up to 10 hours. 

Its developer, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), has orders for 18 units of the type and expects the AS700 to enter service commercially before the end of 2024.  

The AS700 airship will first be used in the tourism market, although it is likely that other applications, such as search and rescue missions, will be developed at a later date. 

Airships are also making a commercial aviation comeback in the West, where companies such as United States-based LTA, Britain¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) and France¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Flying Whales are all developing new generation airships for passenger and cargo transportation.  

Introducing Flying Whales: the largest cargo aircraft to-be

• Aviation Technology and Innovation
• Paris Air Show

by¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Team

2 minute read