Current development in the manufacturing of aircraft composite parts has greatly utilized the prepreg materials in the autoclave moulding process in producing exceptional quality of laminates. Nevertheless, several issues related to the manufacturing quality of the complex-shaped laminates are still found unresolved, where the thickness uniformity, resin distribution and fiber wrinkling have been mostly regarded as the critical issues that contribute to the reduced mechanical properties and life span of the structure. A review on the contribution of the processing parameters towards the manufacturing defects of the aircraft complex-shaped laminate is critically presented. The discussion included the effects of the parameters on the defect formation during the sub-processes involved. It was found that the defects occurring were substantially affected by various factors, including mould selection, material characteristics, bagging configuration, etc. Subsequently, the correlation between the processing parameters and the related defects was thoroughly investigated, in which several findings are decisively proposed. © 2017, Springer-Verlag London.