What Is the AS9100 Standard?

For organizations and businesses working in aerospace and defense, quality isn’t just important—it’s critical. A single defective component can lead to catastrophic failures, putting lives at risk and potentially causing millions of dollars in damages. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the aerospace industry maintains some of the world’s most rigorous quality management standards.

At the forefront of these standards is AS9100—an international standard for quality management in aerospace.

This comprehensive guide will cover everything you need to know about the AS9100 standard, from its fundamental principles to the step-by-step process of becoming certified.

AS9100 is the internationally recognized quality management system standard specifically developed for the aerospace and defense (AS&D) industry.

While it’s based on ISO 9001 (the general quality management systems standard), AS9100 includes approximately 100 additional requirements specific to aerospace quality and safety concerns.

Governed by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), AS9100 addresses the complete lifecycle of aerospace products—from design and development through production, delivery, and after-sales support.

There are three related standards for quality management in the aerospace industry.

• AS9100: The primary standard focused on the design, development, production, and servicing of aerospace products. This is the standard that applies to most manufacturers in the aerospace industry.
• AS9110: A standard specifically tailored for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) organizations. It includes additional requirements relevant to aircraft maintenance operations, focusing on airworthiness and safety.
• AS9120: Designed for distributors and warehouses that procure parts, materials, and assemblies and sell these products to customers in the aerospace industry. It addresses chain of custody, traceability, and control of records that are critical when handling aerospace components.

The current version is AS9100 Revision D (often referred to as AS9100D), which was released in 2016 to align with the ISO 9001:2015 update.

A full revision of AS9100 is underway by the International 9100 Team. To keep up to date with recent updates, follow the latest news here.

AS9100 certification serves as both a market access requirement and a strategic business advantage in the aerospace industry. As a de facto ‘license to operate,’ major manufacturers and prime contractors typically require this certification for suppliers, making it essential for competitive participation in the aerospace supply chain.

The standard provides a set of requirements addressing aerospace-specific risks and requirements, ensuring products meet rigorous safety and performance criteria while simultaneously reducing liability exposure through systematic risk management.

Organizations typically experience significant operational improvements, including reduced rework, fewer defects, and lower waste levels, which directly improve profitability. The standard emphasizes creating a culture of continual improvement that extends beyond compliance to performance excellence.

Certification can support supplier qualification processes and may reduce the frequency of customer audits, depending on individual customer requirements. While not a regulatory requirement itself, AS9100 implementation supports compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and defense agency regulations through aligned documentation and process controls.

As a global standard, AS9100 certification aids international market access, and inclusion in the Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS) database provides visibility to potential customers worldwide.

As an example, a certified company in Detroit can seamlessly work with partners in Germany or India because everyone follows the same quality rules. This eliminates the confusion of different standards in different countries.

For these reasons, AS9100 has evolved from a competitive advantage to a fundamental business requirement driving quality excellence throughout the global aerospace supply chain.

AS9100 provides a comprehensive set of requirements for quality management in aerospace operations that extend beyond the criteria of a general quality management system.

The standard addresses several critical areas that are specific to aerospace manufacturing and operations.

Risk management

This is the cornerstone of AS9100, requiring organizations to implement systematic approaches to product safety risk assessment throughout all processes. Companies must develop ways to identify and mitigate operational risks and establish protocols for managing risks within their supply chain networks. This risk-based thinking permeates all aspects of the quality management system.

Configuration management

This requires robust systems for controlling product definitions throughout their lifecycle. Organizations must implement processes for managing engineering changes, maintaining configuration baselines, and ensuring complete traceability of all modifications.

Special requirements and critical items

Organizations must develop enhanced controls for key characteristics, critical items requiring special attention, and components with significant operational impact. This often includes statistical process control and full inspection methodologies for these critical features that can impact safety or performance.

Product realization and control

These requirements address the entire manufacturing process, from design through delivery. The standard mandates robust design and development controls, production process verification through First Article Inspection, systematic tool and equipment management, and Foreign Object Debris prevention programs. These requirements ensure process stability and product conformity.

Prevention of counterfeit parts

In response to industry challenges, AS9100 requires organizations to establish comprehensive counterfeit part prevention programs, implement rigorous supplier monitoring and assessment protocols, and develop testing and verification procedures for suspect components. These requirements help maintain supply chain integrity in an increasingly complex global marketplace.

Supply chain management

Organizations must implement structured approaches to supplier selection and qualification, ongoing performance monitoring systems, and risk-based thinking in all procurement activities. These requirements recognize the important role that suppliers play in product quality and organizational success.

AS9100 is essential for businesses throughout the aerospace supply chain, including:

• Aircraft manufacturers producing commercial, military, or general aviation aircraft.
• Parts suppliers at every tier of the aerospace supply chain.
• Specialty manufacturing and processing companies serving the aerospace industry.
• Testing and inspection service providers supporting aerospace production.
• Aviation software developers creating flight systems and support applications.
• Organizations handling aerospace materials throughout the supply chain

While certification is not always legally mandated, it has become a de facto requirement for doing business in the aerospace sector. Major aerospace manufacturers and defense contractors typically require their suppliers to be AS9100 certified.

Organizations may realize benefits such as improved safety, operational efficiency, and enhanced business credibility when effectively implementing an AS9100-compliant system, including:

Safety improvements

• The production of safe, high-quality products and services: The aerospace industry has strict quality and safety regulations. AS9100 can help companies make products that meet these high standards, boosting customer satisfaction.
• Proactive risk management: AS9100 can help companies find and fix potential issues before they become problems, rather than reacting after incidents occur.
• Counterfeit prevention: The standard includes specific requirements to help prevent counterfeit parts from entering the supply chain, which could cause serious accidents.

Efficiency improvements

• Continual improvement: AS9100 encourages companies to keep improving. They regularly check their performance, find ways to improve, and make changes to become safer and more efficient.
• Standardized procedures: Following standard procedures reduces errors and wasted resources. Certified businesses often uncover inefficiencies, leading to cost savings and improved productivity.
• High quality, from the start: Delivering high quality from the outset minimizes defects and rework, significantly reducing costs and improving delivery performance.

Business advantages

• Inclusion in the Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS): Every AS9100-certified organization is automatically listed in the Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS)—a searchable directory run by the IAQG.
• Compliance with specific AS&D regulations: Suppliers and stakeholders want to know that the products and services that organizations provide comply with the relevant regulations and legislation. AS9100 certification indicates that the organization has implemented a quality management system aligned with aerospace requirements, which can support—but does not guarantee—regulatory compliance.
• Competitive edge: One of AS9100’s core principles is continual improvement. The structured approach helps your business evolve and adapt to changing industry demands.

The value of joining the Oasis supplier database

One unique aspect of AS9100 certification is inclusion in the Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS) database. This global database, maintained by the IAQG, serves as the official registry of AS9100-certified organizations.

Unlike generic business listings, OASIS connects you directly with procurement teams at major manufacturers and government agencies who specifically search for certified suppliers.

The database provides both public verification of your certification status and restricted access to aerospace buyers, allowing them to view your detailed performance data. This creates visibility and credibility that often translates directly into new business opportunities.

Wondering how AS9100 Certification could enhance your organization? Here are some examples of its potential impact across different types of businesses:

• A components manufacturer implementing AS9100 could establish a structured document control system that automatically tracks regulatory changes. This can make demonstrating compliance during audits straightforward and could eliminate last-minute rushes.
• A machining company following AS9100 standards could see delivery delays and quality issues drop, potentially earning preferential supplier status with major aerospace customers who value reliability.
• A small supplier using AS9100’s data analysis requirements could uncover hidden issues like equipment calibration problems and implement targeted improvements that could systematically reduce defect rates over time.

The heart of the standard is an AS9100 QMS, which requires organizations to meet quality objectives by documenting processes, procedures, and implemented changes.

With a QMS, organizations will find it easier to coordinate changes that help them meet customer and industry expectations, comply with industry regulations, and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their systems.

A QMS contains a framework of policies and processes based on seven core principles:

1. Customer focus: Prioritizing customer needs and satisfaction.
2. Leadership: Establishing a clear vision and direction for the organization.
3. Process approach: Managing activities and resources efficiently by treating them as interrelated processes.
4. Engagement: Involving and empowering employees at all levels.
5. Continual improvement: Fostering an ongoing effort to enhance products, services, and processes.
6. Relationship management: Building and maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders.
7. Evidence-based decision-making: Making informed decisions based on data analysis and evaluation.

Read more about the 7 Principles of Quality Management.

If you’re familiar with quality management systems, you might be curious about how AS9100 differs from ISO 9001. The latter is an industry-neutral standard for implementing a QMS, and AS9100 was built upon its requirements.

Many of its requirements, such as the seven core principles, are the same, but AS9100 contains additional requirements tailored to the AS&D industry.

The additional requirements mainly concern the Product Realization, and the Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement sections of the AS9100. These sections contain a number of requirements related to:

• Project management: Enhancing the planning and control of complex aerospace projects.
• Risk management: Proactively identifying and addressing potential problems before they occur, rather than simply reacting to issues.
• Ethical behavior: Maintaining integrity in operations and preventing the use of counterfeit parts.
• Controls: Implementing additional checks for critical processes that cannot be fully inspected after completion.
• Additional safety requirements: Paying special attention to parts that could lead to accidents if they fail.
• Product design and development: Conducting more rigorous testing and verification for aerospace designs.
• Human input: Reducing human errors by improving work environments and procedures.
• Configuration management: Accurately tracking the exact version of a product being manufactured.

As both standards share the same high-level structure, integration is straightforward. If your aerospace business already has ISO 9001 certification, you are already more than halfway to AS9100 certification.

Find out more about ISO 9001 certification with Amtivo.

Achieving AS9100 certification means your organization must comply with the requirements of the standard. The certification process follows these key steps:

• Preparation: Work with your certification body to understand the process and develop a plan for your audit. They’ll explain what’s needed and can point you toward helpful resources.
• Stage One Audit: The certification body auditor reviews your documentation to identify any opportunities for improvement (OFIs) in your management system. Any issues are documented as ‘Areas of Concern’ in an audit report that should be addressed before proceeding to the stage two audit.
• Stage Two Audit: Once you have addressed any areas of concern, the auditor conducts an in-depth on-site review of your management system. They’ll assess implementation and verify the effectiveness of your aerospace QMS. Any requirements not met must be addressed before the auditor will recommend your organization for certification.
• Review: Your application, submitted by the auditor, will be reviewed by your certification body’s compliance team, who will issue your certificate upon a successful review.

After certification, you will require:

• Annual surveillance audits to maintain your certification.
• Complete recertification every three years.

Find out more about the certification process.

Even the best-prepared organizations can face challenges implementing AS9100. Typical stumbling blocks include:

• Aerospace terminology: The standard uses specialized industry language and concepts unfamiliar to those new to the aerospace industry, making some requirements difficult to interpret and implement correctly.
• Special process control: Processes that cannot be fully verified by inspection (like heat treatment or welding) require extensive validation and monitoring, which some organizations find difficult to document and maintain.
• Supplier management: Establishing effective systems to evaluate and monitor suppliers becomes complex when dealing with critical aerospace components and multi-tier supply chains.

Many businesses find that training their team or bringing in experienced consultants helps in navigating these challenges.

Are you ready to begin your AS9100 certification journey? Amtivo’s expert auditors can help you with our certification services.

As an ANAB-accredited body, we’re highly experienced and authorized to perform certification audits for various aerospace quality management standards. Our team of expert auditors provides comprehensive certification services for AS9100, supporting your overall certification journey.

Get a quote today, or contact our team to discuss your needs.