Aerospace Sourcing
Buyer comparison

AS9100 vs ISO 9001 Suppliers: Do You Need an AS9100 Certified Shop?

Require an AS9100 certified supplier for flight hardware, safety or mission critical parts, and any contract that flows AS9100 down. An ISO 9001 shop can be the right choice for tooling, most ground support equipment, non-flight test articles and prototypes, provided you add aerospace controls to the purchase order and verify the parts yourself.

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The short answer

Require AS9100 when the part flies, when it is safety or mission critical, or when your own contract flows it down to you. ISO 9001 can be enough for tooling, ground support equipment, non-flight test hardware and early prototypes, as long as you write the missing aerospace controls into the purchase order and check the work yourself.

The question is not which certificate is better in the abstract. AS9100 includes every ISO 9001:2015 requirement plus aerospace additions that Amtivo, a US certification body, puts at roughly 100. Those additions cover exactly the failure modes that hurt flight hardware: unapproved changes, counterfeit material, debris, and unverified first production. If the part cannot cause harm or a mission loss, you may be able to cover those risks with purchase order clauses and inspection instead of a certificate. If it can, buy the certified system.

AS9100 and ISO 9001 side by side

Question a buyer asksAS9100D supplierISO 9001:2015 supplier
Base quality systemAll of ISO 9001:2015, plus aerospace additionsISO 9001:2015 only
Counterfeit part preventionRequired by the standardOnly if your PO requires it
Configuration managementRequired by the standardOnly document control; add revision rules on the PO
Foreign object preventionConsidered in production and preservationOnly if your PO requires it
First production verificationProduction process verification required; AS9102 format when your contract calls for itOnly if your PO requires an FAI
Product safety and key characteristicsAddressed in the standardNot addressed; flow them down
Audit rulesIAQG scheme, accredited registrar, results in OASISAccredited registrar, no IAQG database
Where you check the certificateIAQG OASIS databaseThe registrar's certificate and its accreditation body
Typical fitFlight hardware, flight spares, safety critical GSETooling, fixtures, most GSE, non-flight test articles, prototypes

Your contract and your customer's quality clauses override this table, and a well run ISO 9001 shop can outperform a weak AS9100 shop on a given part. If a supplier is still working toward certification, its side is covered on our AS9100 certification cost page.

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What AS9100D adds to ISO 9001:2015

AS9100 Rev D, issued in 2016, keeps the ISO 9001:2015 structure and adds aerospace requirements on top. The ones that change what lands on your dock are below.

AS9100D additionWhat it means for your part
Product safetyThe supplier must decide which controls keep the product safe through its life and train people on them.
Counterfeit part preventionA documented process to keep counterfeit or suspect parts and material out of the product, including sampling and checks on incoming parts and material.
Configuration managementThe floor builds to the revision on your PO, and changes go through a controlled process instead of a phone call.
Foreign object preventionForeign object protection is considered when setting production conditions and when preserving product, which matters for anything that ends up in a tank, a valve or a vehicle.
Key characteristicsFeatures you flag as key get extra control. AS9103 covers variation management of key characteristics when you invoke it.
Production process verificationThe first production run of a new part is verified against requirements. This is where first article inspection lives; the AS9102 report format applies when your contract requires it.
Operational riskRisk is planned and managed for operations, not only reviewed at contract signing.
Supplier controlThe shop stays responsible for conformity of what its own suppliers provide, must flow requirements down to them and must track their on-time delivery and quality.
Human factorsCorrective action has to consider human factors when finding root cause.

None of these guarantee a good part. They guarantee the shop has a system for these risks and that an aerospace auditor has looked at it. For how first article reports should look, see our AS9102 first article guide, and for counterfeit controls see counterfeit parts avoidance.

AS9120 for distributors, AS9110 for repair stations

Match the standard to what the supplier actually does. A shop that makes your part should hold AS9100. A distributor that buys and resells parts or material without changing them should hold AS9120. A maintenance, repair and overhaul organization should hold AS9110.

  • AS9120 is written for distributors and stockists. Its emphasis is chain of custody, traceability and record control, which is what you need from someone selling you fasteners, bar stock or electronic parts.
  • AS9110 is written for maintenance organizations and adds requirements tied to maintenance and airworthiness.

The mismatch to watch for is a company quoting manufactured parts while holding only AS9120. That certificate covers buying and reselling, not machining. Ask who makes the part and check that maker's certificate. If you are buying certified surplus material, an AS9120 distributor with full mill certs is the normal source; our certified material page covers what paperwork to expect.

Choose AS9100 when, choose ISO 9001 when

Choose an AS9100 supplier when

  • The part is flight hardware, a flight spare, or goes into an engine, a pressure system or a crewed vehicle.
  • Your prime contract or your customer's quality clauses require AS9100 at every tier.
  • Failure could injure someone, destroy a vehicle or end a mission.
  • The part carries key characteristics, a full AS9102 first article and a long revision history you cannot afford to have the floor lose track of.
  • You need to verify the supplier quickly through OASIS rather than with your own audit.

Choose an ISO 9001 supplier when

  • The item is tooling, a drill guide, a check fixture or shop aid that never flies.
  • It is ground support equipment that does not touch flight hardware interfaces, oxygen service or pressure, or where you can inspect every feature that matters.
  • It is a prototype, development article or test fixture, and you will source inspect it or accept it on your own inspection.
  • Your contract allows it. The Federal Acquisition Regulation at 46.202-4 lists ISO 9001, SAE AS9100 and SAE AS9003 side by side as examples of higher-level quality standards a contracting officer may require, so the contract, not habit, decides.
  • The shop has a capability nobody certified offers nearby and you are willing to add controls.

For GSE in particular, see our ground support equipment page; many GSE buys sit in the gray zone where ISO 9001 plus specific clauses is a normal choice.

How to verify an AS9100 certificate in OASIS

Check the IAQG OASIS database before you rely on a certificate PDF. Under the IAQG scheme, certification bodies are required to register each accredited AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120 certificate in OASIS, so a certificate you cannot find there is a reason to stop and ask.

  1. Get access. Register a user account through the OASIS link on the IAQG website, then log in to the data search.
  2. Search the supplier. Search by organization name, OASIS identification number (OIN) or certificate number. Try partial names, since legal names and trade names often differ.
  3. Read the standard and the status. Confirm it is AS9100, not only AS9120 or ISO 9001, and that the certificate is current, not suspended or withdrawn.
  4. Read the scope. The scope should cover what you are buying. A certificate scoped to assembly or distribution does not cover precision machining.
  5. Check the site. Make sure the address that makes your part is on the certificate. Multi-site companies sometimes certify one building.
  6. Ask for the audit results if it matters. Certificate data is public. Audit details such as nonconformities, corrective actions and scoring are private, and the supplier's OASIS administrator controls who can see them. BSI's published terms for its certified clients say they must give aerospace customers access to this data on request unless they can justify not doing so.
  7. Check special processes separately. OASIS covers the quality system. Nadcap accreditation for heat treat, NDT, chemical processing and welding is a separate program; see how Nadcap works.

Certified organizations are also expected to notify their aerospace customers promptly if they lose certification. Do not rely on that alone. Recheck OASIS when you place a new order with a supplier you have not used in a while.

Controls to add when you buy from an ISO 9001 shop

If you use a shop without AS9100, put the aerospace controls you need into the purchase order and verify them yourself. These are the clauses and checks that close most of the gap.

Gap versus AS9100Control to add
Configuration controlBuild only to the drawing and revision on the PO; no process, source or location change without written approval
First production verificationRequire an FAI on the first part, in AS9102 format if your customer needs it
Material and counterfeit riskMaterial from approved sources with mill certs traceable to heat or lot; counterfeit prevention clause; supplier provides certs with shipment
Special processesName approved processors or require Nadcap accredited sources for plating, heat treat, NDT and welding
Foreign object riskState cleanliness, deburr, capping and packaging requirements for the part
NonconformanceShop must notify you of any nonconforming product and may not use or repair it without your approval
VerificationSource inspection before shipment, or full receiving inspection on key features
RecordsRight of access for you and your customer; record retention period stated

Two cautions. First, every clause you add is a clause you must check, so an ISO 9001 shop's lower quote can be offset by your own quality team's time. Second, if your customer audits your supply chain, be ready to show why that ISO 9001 source was acceptable for that part. Our aerospace RFQ checklist lists what to put on the request so these requirements are priced in from the start, and receiving inspection covers what to check when the parts arrive.

Get the right certification level matched to your part

Tell us whether the part flies, what your contract flows down, and whether an ISO 9001 source is acceptable for it. Send the request through the CNC machining quote form and we will match it to suppliers whose certification fits, flow down your quality clauses, and deliver one quote and a cert package with a certificate of conformance. A person replies within 1 business day. If the drawings are export controlled, read our confidentiality and controlled programs pages before you send anything. For the broader buying picture, start at aerospace CNC machining.

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Questions

Is ISO 9001 enough for aerospace parts?

Sometimes. ISO 9001 can be acceptable for tooling, fixtures, most ground support equipment, prototypes and non-flight test hardware, especially when you add purchase order clauses for revision control, first article, material certs and nonconformance notification, and then inspect the parts. For flight hardware, safety critical parts, or any contract that flows down AS9100, use an AS9100 certified supplier. The contract and your customer's quality clauses decide, not general practice.

What does AS9100 have that ISO 9001 does not?

AS9100D includes all of ISO 9001:2015 plus aerospace requirements. The ones buyers notice most are product safety, counterfeit part prevention, configuration management, foreign object prevention, attention to key characteristics, production process verification where first article inspection sits, operational risk management, and tighter control of the supplier's own sub-tier suppliers. Amtivo, a certification body, describes the additions as roughly 100 extra requirements.

How do I check if a supplier is really AS9100 certified?

Look the supplier up in the IAQG OASIS database instead of trusting a PDF. Register a user account through the IAQG site, search by company name, OIN or certificate number, and confirm the standard is AS9100, the status is current, the scope covers your type of work and the site that makes your part is listed. Audit details are private, but you can ask the supplier to grant you access.

Can a distributor with AS9120 make my machined parts?

Not under that certificate. AS9120 covers distributors that buy and resell parts or material without changing them, with emphasis on traceability and chain of custody. If a company with AS9120 quotes you machined parts, the machining is done somewhere else. Ask who makes the part, then check that maker's AS9100 certificate in OASIS, or treat it as an uncertified source and add your own controls.

Does AS9100 mean every part comes with an AS9102 first article?

Not automatically. AS9100D requires the supplier to verify its production process on a representative item from the first production run of a new part, which is first article inspection in practice. The AS9102 report format applies when your contract or purchase order requires it. If you need AS9102 forms, say so on the RFQ so the supplier prices it in and you receive the complete report with the first delivery.

Is AS9100 changing soon?

IAQG is developing the next revision of the 9100 series under the IA9100 name, and NASA's safety and mission assurance office has reported a publication estimate in the fourth quarter of 2026 to align with the ISO 9001 revision. Certified suppliers normally get a transition period. For buyers, a current AS9100D certificate remains valid until the transition rules say otherwise, so keep checking status in OASIS.

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