Quality
AS9100 certification in the UK
AS9100 is the quality management standard that aerospace customers, and many defence customers, expect of their suppliers. In the UK it is published as EN 9100. This guide explains how certification works, how buyers check a certificate, and what the planned move to IA9100 means.
Independent guide. Engineering Britain does not certify, audit or recommend certification bodies. The International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), UKAS and the certification bodies themselves are the authoritative sources on scheme rules.
What AS9100 is
AS9100 builds on ISO 9001 and adds requirements that matter in aviation, space and defence: product safety, configuration management, prevention of counterfeit parts, first article inspection, risk management, special requirements and critical items, and on-time delivery and conformity performance. The current revision is AS9100D, published in 2016. The same text is published in different regions under different names:
| Name | Region and publisher |
|---|---|
| AS9100D | Americas, published by SAE International |
| EN 9100:2018 | Europe, published by ASD-STAN; in the UK available as BS EN 9100 |
| JISQ 9100 | Asia-Pacific, published in Japan |
The family of standards
- AS9100 / EN 9100: organisations that design, develop or produce aviation, space and defence products.
- AS9120 / EN 9120: stockists and distributors that buy and resell parts without altering them.
- AS9110 / EN 9110: maintenance, repair and overhaul organisations.
Choose the one that matches what you actually do. A machine shop needs AS9100; a parts distributor usually needs AS9120.
How certification works
AS9100 certificates are issued under the IAQG's Industry Controlled Other Party (ICOP) scheme. Certification bodies must be accredited by a national accreditation body (UKAS in the UK) for the aerospace scheme, and their auditors must hold aerospace auditor qualifications. A certificate from a body outside the scheme does not count as AS9100 certification in the eyes of aerospace buyers.
- Gap analysis. Compare your current system with the standard, clause by clause. Firms already certified to ISO 9001 usually start with the aerospace-specific additions.
- Build the system. Define processes, controls and records: contract review, configuration management, supplier control, first article inspection, nonconformity handling, counterfeit parts prevention, and product safety awareness.
- Run it and collect evidence. Auditors need to see the system working, including internal audits and a management review.
- Choose a certification body. Confirm it holds UKAS accreditation for the aerospace scheme and can audit your scope and sites. Compare audit days, travel and auditor availability.
- Stage 1 audit. A readiness review of documentation and planning.
- Stage 2 audit. An assessment of the system in operation, including process effectiveness and performance measures. Nonconformities must be corrected before certification.
- Certification and OASIS. The certificate is recorded in the IAQG's Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS).
- Surveillance and recertification. Surveillance audits follow during the three-year certificate cycle, with a recertification audit before expiry.
How buyers check a certificate
- OASIS lookup. Buyers check that the certificate is listed, current and issued under the scheme.
- Scope. The certificate's scope must cover the products and processes being bought, at the site that will make them.
- Performance. Many buyers also track your delivery and quality performance, and some view audit results through OASIS where the supplier allows it.
- Customer-specific requirements. Primes often add their own supplier quality manuals on top of AS9100.
What AS9100 does not cover
Certification is not a product approval. Buyers may still require first article inspection reports, special process approvals (for example for heat treatment or non-destructive testing, often through Nadcap), cyber requirements under DEFCON 658, and export control arrangements. Defence contracts may call up NATO quality requirements such as AQAP 2110, which can be met alongside AS9100.
Costs to plan for
- Standards. Copies of the standard and any referenced documents.
- Internal time. Writing and running the system, internal audits and management review. This is usually the largest cost.
- Certification body fees. Audit days for Stage 1, Stage 2 and surveillance, set by the scheme's audit-day rules according to size and complexity.
- Training. Internal auditor and awareness training, including product safety and counterfeit parts awareness.
- Calibration and inspection. Measuring equipment and inspection capability that meets customer requirements.
Ask several certification bodies for quotes with the audit-day calculation shown, so that you compare like with like.
The move to IA9100
The IAQG has announced that the next revision of the 9100 series will carry the name IA9100, reflecting alignment across its regional sectors, and that it is being developed alongside the revision of ISO 9001. Industry commentary expects publication from late 2026, followed by a transition period of a few years for certified organisations. Confirm the dates with the IAQG and your certification body before planning; until the transition rules are published, AS9100D and EN 9100:2018 remain the standards audited.
Traceability: the requirement buyers test most
AS9100 requires identification and traceability appropriate to the product. In practice, aerospace customers expect to trace each part or lot back to material certificates, operations, inspections and nonconformances, and forward to the delivery. Serial and lot genealogy kept as the work happens is much easier to show an auditor than records assembled afterwards; Cargovate for manufacturers keeps that genealogy and the custody of goods in transit in one record.
Common questions
How long does AS9100 certification take?
It depends on your starting point. Auditors need to see records from a system that has been running, including internal audits and a management review, so allow time for evidence to build up.
Do I need ISO 9001 first?
No. AS9100 includes the ISO 9001 requirements, so certification to AS9100 covers them.
Is AS9100 required for defence work?
Not always. Many defence contracts call for ISO 9001 and AQAP 2110; defence aerospace buyers commonly require AS9100. Read the purchase order's quality clauses.
Can a start-up get certified before it has customers?
It needs to show the system operating, which is hard without orders. Many firms work to the standard from day one and seek certification once there is enough activity to audit.
Where does this fit with other supplier checks?
Quality certificates are among the first things asked in pre-qualification such as JOSCAR and in defence supply chain onboarding.
Last reviewed 2026-09-17