The Short Answer Most Aerospace Suppliers Get Wrong
If you supply to the aerospace industry and someone has told you that you just need ISO 9001, they have given you half the picture. AS9100 is the aerospace quality management standard that matters most for suppliers in this sector, and it is built directly on top of ISO 9001. You cannot separate the two. AS9100 contains every requirement of ISO 9001, plus a significant layer of aerospace-specific requirements on top.
On this page
So the real answer to the question “what ISO certification is required for AS9100 aerospace suppliers?” is this: you need AS9100 certification, which already includes ISO 9001 compliance. You do not need to hold two separate certificates. One AS9100 certificate covers both. But understanding why this is the case, what the standard actually demands, and how the certification process works in practice is where most suppliers fall short.
This article walks you through exactly what is required, what the certification process looks like, and what aerospace customers will actually check before approving you as a supplier.
Understanding the Relationship Between ISO 9001 and AS9100
AS9100 is developed and maintained by the International Aerospace Quality Group, commonly known as IAQG. The current revision is AS9100 Rev D, which was aligned with ISO 9001:2015 when it was released. This alignment means AS9100 uses the same high-level structure as ISO 9001, the same clause numbering, and the same foundational requirements. Then it adds aerospace-specific requirements on top of that foundation.
Think of it this way. ISO 9001 is the base layer. AS9100 is that same base layer with additional requirements specific to aviation, space, and defence. When you certify to AS9100, you are demonstrating conformance to both standards simultaneously. Your certificate will say AS9100 Rev D, and that is sufficient. You do not need a separate ISO 9001 certificate sitting alongside it.
If you want a solid grounding in what ISO 9001 requires before diving into the aerospace-specific additions, our beginner's guide to ISO 9001:2015 covers the fundamentals in plain language.
What AS9100 Adds Beyond ISO 9001
The aerospace additions in AS9100 are not minor tweaks. They are substantial requirements that reflect the life-critical nature of aerospace products. Here are the major areas where AS9100 goes further than ISO 9001:
- Risk management: AS9100 requires a far more rigorous approach to risk, including formal risk assessment processes, risk mitigation plans, and documented evidence of risk decisions across the product lifecycle.
- Configuration management: You must control product configurations throughout design and production. This means tracking changes, maintaining baselines, and ensuring that what you manufacture matches exactly what was approved.
- First article inspection: AS9100 requires first article inspection for new parts or after significant process changes. This is a formal verification that your manufacturing process can consistently produce parts that meet design requirements.
- Counterfeit parts prevention: This is a major addition. Aerospace suppliers must have processes to detect, prevent, and report counterfeit or suspect unapproved parts entering the supply chain.
- Key characteristics: Features of a product or process that can have a significant effect on fit, form, function, performance, service life, or manufacturability must be identified and controlled with specific processes.
- Product safety: AS9100 includes explicit requirements around product safety, including the identification of safety-critical products and processes, and the management of those risks.
- Notification of escapes: If a nonconforming product has left your facility, you must have a process to notify affected customers. This is a formal requirement, not just good practice.
- Operational risk management: Beyond the general risk requirements of ISO 9001, AS9100 requires risk management to be embedded into operational planning and decision making.
Get 3 ISO Quotes. 24 Hours Response
Tell us what you need and compare vetted ISO consultants or certification bodies within 24 hours. Free, no obligation.
Trusted by 400+ businesses like yours
Which Aerospace Suppliers Actually Need AS9100?
This is where a lot of businesses get confused. Not every company that does work connected to aerospace needs AS9100 certification. Whether you need it depends on what you supply, who you supply it to, and what your contracts require.
Suppliers Who Typically Need AS9100
AS9100 is generally required for organisations that design, manufacture, or provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for aerospace products. This includes:
- Manufacturers of aircraft components, assemblies, or systems
- Suppliers of raw materials or processed materials used in aerospace applications
- Manufacturers of tooling, test equipment, or ground support equipment
- Maintenance, repair, and overhaul organisations
- Distributors of aerospace parts (particularly those handling safety-critical components)
- Design organisations working on aerospace products
Suppliers Who May Only Need ISO 9001
Some businesses in the aerospace supply chain do not need AS9100 and can satisfy their customers with ISO 9001. This is common for:
- Providers of general business services such as IT support, cleaning, or catering at aerospace facilities
- Suppliers of non-critical consumables that do not end up in the aircraft
- Training providers or consultants who do not directly touch the product
The honest advice here is to check your customer's supplier requirements directly. Do not assume. Primes and tier-one suppliers will tell you exactly what certification they require. If you are responding to a tender or trying to get onto an approved supplier list, the requirements will be spelled out in the supplier quality requirements document.
The OASIS Database: How Aerospace Certification Is Tracked
One thing that sets aerospace certification apart from other sectors is the OASIS database. OASIS stands for Online Aerospace Supplier Information System and it is maintained by the IAQG. When an accredited certification body certifies an organisation to AS9100, that certification must be registered in OASIS. This is not optional.
Aerospace customers, primes, and procurement teams use OASIS to verify supplier certifications. If your AS9100 certificate is not in OASIS, many aerospace customers will not accept it regardless of what the paper certificate says. This is a critical point that suppliers new to the aerospace sector often miss.
When you are selecting a certification body for AS9100, you must confirm that they are authorised to register certifications in OASIS. Not all ISO 9001 certification bodies have this capability. You need a certification body that is both accredited and IAQG-recognised for AS9100 certification. Selecting the right certification body is one of the most important decisions in this process, and in aerospace it carries even more weight than in other sectors.
Related Standards in the AS9100 Family
AS9100 is not the only standard in the aerospace quality management series. The IAQG has developed a family of standards, and depending on what your organisation does, a different standard in the family may apply to you.
AS9110 for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul
If your organisation performs maintenance, repair, or overhaul of aerospace products rather than manufacturing them, AS9110 is the applicable standard. AS9110 is also built on ISO 9001 and includes requirements specific to MRO operations, including additional requirements around airworthiness, regulatory compliance, and the management of approved maintenance data.
AS9120 for Distributors
If your business distributes aerospace parts rather than manufacturing them, AS9120 is the standard designed for you. AS9120 focuses on the supply chain management, traceability, and counterfeit parts prevention requirements that are critical for distributors. Again, it is built on ISO 9001 and is registered in OASIS the same way AS9100 is.
Choosing the wrong standard in the family is a real problem. A distributor certifying to AS9100 when they should be certifying to AS9120 may find that their aerospace customers do not accept the certification because it does not match their supplier requirements. Get clear on what your customers actually require before you begin the certification process.
What the AS9100 Certification Process Looks Like
The certification process for AS9100 follows a similar structure to ISO 9001 certification, with some important differences driven by the complexity and rigour of the aerospace requirements.
Stage 1 Audit
The stage 1 audit is a documentation review. The auditor will assess whether your quality management system documentation addresses all the requirements of AS9100. They will check your quality manual, procedures, work instructions, risk registers, and other documented information. The purpose is to determine whether you are ready for the stage 2 audit. If you have significant gaps, the auditor will identify them and give you time to address them before proceeding.
Our guide on what to do before an ISO Stage 1 readiness audit covers the preparation steps in detail, and most of that advice applies directly to AS9100 as well.
Stage 2 Audit
The stage 2 audit is the on-site certification audit. The auditor will assess whether your quality management system is actually implemented and effective. In aerospace, this means they will be looking at your shop floor, your inspection records, your nonconformance reports, your risk assessments, your configuration control processes, and your counterfeit parts controls. The audit is thorough and typically takes longer than an equivalent ISO 9001 audit because of the additional AS9100 requirements.
If the auditor finds nonconformances, you will need to address them before the certificate is issued. Major nonconformances require corrective action and verification before certification proceeds. Minor nonconformances are typically addressed within a defined timeframe after certification.
Surveillance Audits and Recertification
AS9100 certification is valid for three years, with annual surveillance audits in between. The surveillance audits assess whether your system continues to conform to the standard and whether you are maintaining the improvements you demonstrated during certification. At the end of the three-year cycle, a recertification audit is conducted to renew the certificate.
In aerospace, surveillance audits tend to be more rigorous than in other sectors. Auditors will often focus on specific areas such as counterfeit parts, customer escapes, and corrective action effectiveness. Your OASIS registration must remain current throughout the certification cycle.
Common Mistakes Aerospace Suppliers Make During Certification
Having worked in this space for a number of years, there are patterns that come up repeatedly when aerospace suppliers approach certification for the first time.
Treating AS9100 Like a Paperwork Exercise
The most common mistake is building a quality management system that looks good on paper but is not actually embedded in how the business operates. Aerospace auditors are experienced and they will go to the shop floor, talk to your operators, and check whether the procedures you have written match what people actually do. If there is a gap between your documentation and your practice, they will find it.
Underestimating the Counterfeit Parts Requirements
Counterfeit parts prevention is one of the areas where suppliers are most frequently caught out. You need documented processes for detecting suspect parts, training your staff on what to look for, and reporting incidents. If you purchase components or raw materials from distributors, you need traceability back to the original manufacturer. This takes real effort to implement properly.
Choosing a Certification Body Without OASIS Access
As mentioned earlier, if your certification body cannot register you in OASIS, your certificate will not be accepted by most aerospace customers. This is a fundamental requirement and it needs to be confirmed before you engage a certification body. Understanding what makes a certificate legitimate is essential in aerospace, where the consequences of a rejected certificate can mean losing a contract entirely.
Not Aligning With Customer-Specific Requirements
AS9100 is the baseline. Many aerospace primes and tier-one suppliers have additional customer-specific requirements that go beyond AS9100. Boeing, Airbus, and other major OEMs have their own supplier quality requirements that sit on top of AS9100. Make sure you understand what your specific customers require before you finalise your quality management system design.
How Long Does AS9100 Certification Take?
For a small to medium manufacturer with a relatively straightforward product scope, you should plan for six to twelve months from starting your quality management system implementation to holding a certificate. This assumes you are starting from a low base. If you already have a mature ISO 9001 system, the gap analysis and uplift to AS9100 can be completed in three to six months.
The timeline is driven by how complex your operations are, how many employees you have, how many sites are in scope, and how quickly your team can implement the required processes. The factors that determine audit days are similar for AS9100, though the complexity of aerospace operations typically means more audit days than a comparable ISO 9001 scope.
The IAQG OASIS database is publicly searchable, which means you can look up certified organisations and their certification bodies to get a sense of who is active in the aerospace certification space in your region.
Getting the Right Help for AS9100 Certification
AS9100 certification is not something most businesses should attempt without experienced guidance. The standard is complex, the auditors are thorough, and the consequences of a failed audit in aerospace can be significant in terms of lost contracts and reputational damage.
When you are looking for a consultant to help with AS9100, you need someone who has direct aerospace experience, not just general ISO 9001 experience. The counterfeit parts requirements, configuration management, key characteristics, and first article inspection requirements all need someone who understands how they work in practice, not just what the standard says. Our article on why industry expertise matters when choosing an ISO consultant is worth reading before you start talking to potential consultants.
If you are ready to find qualified help, CertBetter connects aerospace businesses with verified consultants and accredited certification bodies who have genuine aerospace experience. You submit one form and receive up to three competing quotes, completely free. Given the stakes involved in aerospace supplier approval, getting the right team around you from the start is one of the best investments you can make.
