China's AG600 amphibious aircraft completes production test flight

An AG600 aircraft 1101 completes a 12-metric-ton water drop test and landed smoothly after a 17-minute flight at Jinwan Airport in Zhuhai, south China's Hainan Province, May 18, 2025. (Photo provided to China News Service)

(ECNS) -- An AG600 aircraft 1101 completed a 12-metric-ton water drop test and landed smoothly after a 17-minute flight at Jinwan Airport in Zhuhai, south China's Hainan Province, on Sunday, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

This means China's independently developed AG600 large amphibious aircraft, codenamed Kunlong or "water dragon," has successfully completed its production test flight.

The test demonstrated that the aircraft's mass production meets all design requirements and has reached safe, operational conditions for delivery. It marks a key step toward obtaining the Production Certificate, with the aircraft's physical configuration aligning with certification specifications.

The AG600 large amphibious firefighting aircraft obtained its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in Beijing on April 20, 2025, marking its successful development and market entry approval. The first mass-produced AG600 aircraft (1101) completed final assembly and rolled off the production line on May 6.

Within 12 days, it efficiently completed a series of ground testing tasks—including taxi tests, general inspections, mission system checks, and high-altitude flight tests—as part of the production test flight process. This holds significant importance for the AG600's subsequent acquisition of the Production Certificate.

The AVIC is committed to boosting the operational and commercial success of the AG600 and promoting the development of China's emergency rescue and national natural disaster prevention and control systems.

(By Li Yan)