Extensive application of composites is one of distinguished characteristics of the new generation of large civil aircraft. The development of composites in large civil aircraft was summarized. The quantity proportions of composites in aircraft reached from 4% (1980 s) to currently 50%, and composites were wildly used in primary structures and complex curved surface structures. Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 were taken as examples to illustrate the applications of composites in Boeing and Airbus companies. The usage of composites not only results in the reducing of structure quality, the improvement of the usage life of aircraft and the reducing of maintenance costs, but also benefits to the increase of the air pressure and humidity in cabin, which improves the economy, comfort, environmental-friendliness of civil aircraft. It has become a major trend in the world civil aircraft industry that composites will wildly instead of metal and non-metallic materials, and pose a challenge for self-developed large civil aircraft in China. Therefore, some suggestions about applying composites when developing large civil aircraft in China were proposed.