Airbus Defence and Space C-295 vs Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20
Airbus Defence and Space C-295 and Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 are both transport & tanker, compared here on public specifications. The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 leads on max speed (920 vs 480 km/h). Several China-origin figures here are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, so treat this comparison as directional.
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Full data
Full spec sheet
 Airbus Defence and Space C-295
Wins 2/7 |  Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20
Wins 5/7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (km/h) | 480 km/h | 920 km/h ✓ |
| Cruise speed (km/h) | N/A | 800 km/h |
| Range (km) | 5,400 km | 7,800 km ✓ |
| Service ceiling (m) | 9,144 m | 13,000 m ✓ |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 24.5 m | 47 m |
| Empty weight (kg) | 11,200 kg | 100,000 kg |
| Combat weight (kg) | 23,200 kg | 220,000 kg |
| Crew | 3 | 3 |
| Cargo payload (kg) | 9,250 kg | 66,000 kg ✓ |
| Troop capacity | 71 | 180 ✓ |
| Propulsion | ||
| Thrust (kN) | N/A | 138 kN |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $40,000,000 | N/A |
| Units built | 285 ✓ | 90 |
| Operator countries | 40 ✓ | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Airbus Defence and Space C-295 and Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 is the fastest of the 2 compared here, at 920 km/h.
Which has the longer range? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 has the longest range at 7,800 km.
Which is cheaper? +
The Airbus Defence and Space C-295 has the lower public unit-cost figure at 40,000,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher cargo payload? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 has the higher cargo payload at 66,000 kg.
Which has the higher service ceiling? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 has the higher service ceiling at 13,000 m.
Which has the higher troop capacity? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 has the higher troop capacity at 180.
Is the Airbus Defence and Space C-295 better than the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20? +
On the public specs we track, the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 leads on 5 of 6 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
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