Thin-walled structures are widely used in the aerospace field because of their light weight and high specific strength. However, due to its complex structure, weak rigidity and high material removal rate, the finished parts processed by milling are prone to machining errors, which seriously affects their performance. Therefore, controlling the machining error of thin-walled structures has important practical significance. By analyzing the machining characteristics of thin-walled structure, the source of machining error of thin-walled structure is summarized. According to the sources of machining errors, different types of machining errors of thin-walled structures are introduced, including clamping positioning, cutting load, cutting vibration, machine tool errors, residual stresses, and multi-process machining. Then the prediction and control methods of machining errors of thin-walled structures are summarized from these six aspects. Finally, the current challenges and future development of control methods for milling errors in thin-walled structures are expounded.