AS9100 takes the ISO 9001 requirements and supplements them with additional quality system requirements, which are established by the aerospace industry in order to satisfy DOD, NASA and FAA quality requirements. The intent of the standard is to establish a single quality management system for use within the aerospace industry.
The standard was developed by Working Group 11 of ISO TC20 and was supported by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). The official title of AS9100 is “AS9100 Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Aviation, Space and Defense Organizations”.
The predecessor to AS9100, AS9000, was first published in May 1997 by SAE International. The AS9000 standard has evolved to AS9100 and is now recognized by all major Aerospace OEMs. AS9100 is a product of an international effort to establish a single quality management system for use within the aerospace industry.
The standard is recognized worldwide, however, participating countries can use their own numbering conventions. For example, the standard was released as EN9100 in Europe. Regardless of the number, the standard should be identical in content.
The industry has moved toward requiring their subcontractors and suppliers to be AS9100 compliant and/or certified. By becoming registered to AS9100 or by conforming to the standard, suppliers can gain a competitive advantage and benefit from the improved processes and continuous improvement that is the foundation of ISO 9001 certified Quality Management Systems.