AS9100 Compliant shows up on a lot of vendor pages as a badge next to a logo. What it actually requires of a vendor is far more specific, and most buyers sourcing aerospace or defense parts never get past the badge to ask what sits underneath it.
AS9100 builds on ISO 9001:2015 and adds aerospace requirements around traceability, configuration management, risk, and first article inspection. Knowing what those requirements mean on the shop floor is what separates a supplier who can run your job from one who checked a box on an intake form. This guide covers what the standard requires, how certification gets verified, what’s changing with IA9100, and what to ask before you release a job.
AS9100 is ISO 9001, plus the parts that matter for flight-critical work
ISO 9001:2015 sets the baseline: a documented, audited quality management system. AS9100 keeps all of that and adds the requirements aerospace programs depend on.
| Requirement area | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Configuration management | The part revision on the floor matches the revision on the drawing, every time, with a documented trail proving it. |
| First article inspection (FAI) | The first part off a new or changed process gets a full dimensional and characteristic inspection against the drawing before production continues. |
| Risk management | Risks to product conformity get identified and addressed before parts ship, instead of discovered after. |
| Counterfeit parts prevention | Material and component sourcing has to trace back to a legitimate source, beyond an invoice. |
| Traceability | Every part can be traced back through its material lot, its process history, and the people who touched it. |
Each of those requirements leaves a record you can ask for: an FAI report, material certs, a traveler. If a vendor can’t produce them, the requirement isn’t being met. Our post on how a QMS reaches every shop in a vendor network walks through where each record comes from.
Certification is audited by a third party
AS9100 certification requires an independent audit by an accredited certification body. The process runs in two stages: a documentation and readiness review, then an on-site assessment of whether the quality system works the way the paperwork says. Certified shops go through surveillance audits to keep the certificate active.
A vendor who says it “follows AS9100 practices” without a certificate from an accredited registrar hasn’t been through any of that. That distinction is the whole reason to ask for the credential.
Where the portal model runs into trouble
None of the requirements above can be verified by an algorithm. A quick-turn manufacturing portal can display a certification badge. It can’t tell you which shop in its network holds the certification for the process your part needs, whether that shop’s configuration management would survive a customer audit, or who is accountable when first article inspection flags a problem.
That’s where an engineer-reviewed, human-coordinated process earns its keep. Every drawing gets reviewed before it reaches a vetted supplier, the same DFM review a portal never runs, and the shop selected for an AS9100 job is one we already know holds the certification for that process. Open capacity alone doesn’t qualify a shop. We cover the full vetting process in six checks before a shop gets your part.
IA9100 is replacing AS9100 Rev D
The International Aerospace Quality Group is reissuing the standard as IA9100, the replacement for AS9100 Rev D, timed to the next ISO 9001 revision. Publication has been expected around the end of 2026, with a transition window for certified organizations after release. The core structure carries over, so certified shops won’t be starting from scratch.
For buyers, the takeaway stays the same. Certification status isn’t static. A certificate from several audit cycles ago doesn’t mean the shop is current, and a lapsed certificate counts the same as no certificate.
What to ask before you release an AS9100 job
- A copy of the current certificate, the accredited body that issued it, and the date of the last audit. Aerospace certifications are also listed in the IAQG OASIS database, so you can check independently.
- Whether the certificate covers the process your part requires, or only another site in the vendor’s network.
- Who performs first article inspection, and what documentation comes back with it.
- How material traceability is maintained from raw stock through finished part.
- What happens if a nonconformance turns up mid-run, and who makes that call. We break that down in when a part fails inspection.
- Whether there’s a single accountable point of contact, or the answer changes depending on who picks up the phone.
A supplier running flight-critical work should be able to answer all of these immediately, without an email chain to track them down.
What PE owns directly, and what runs through the vetted network
Precision Expedited is AS9100D Compliant and ITAR Registered, with ISO 9001:2015 underneath. Machining and tolerance capability, including CNC machining for aerospace-grade parts in materials like titanium and aluminum, runs through our vetted vendor network, matched to the shop that holds the right certification for the process.
What PE owns directly: engineer review of every drawing before it reaches a supplier, vendor coordination and program management from RFQ through delivery, and pre-shipment inspection in San Clemente before anything ships to you. One contact owns the job start to finish. Our full credentials are on the certifications and compliance page.
“Everything was dead on spec. Keep sending us beautiful, perfect parts early, and we’ll keep sending you our business.” That’s from Adam N., a senior mechanical engineer who works with us on programs where AS9100 requirements are not negotiable.
Frequently asked questions
It means a supplier’s quality management system meets the AS9100 standard: ISO 9001:2015 plus aerospace requirements for traceability, configuration management, risk, and first article inspection. Certification is confirmed by an accredited third-party auditor, not by the supplier itself.
ISO 9001 is the general quality management standard. AS9100 includes all of ISO 9001 and adds requirements for aviation, space, and defense work, such as counterfeit parts prevention, product safety, and first article inspection.
Ask for the current certificate, the name of the accredited certification body, and the most recent audit date. You can also check the IAQG OASIS database, which lists aerospace certifications independently of the supplier.
IA9100 is the next revision of the aerospace quality standard, replacing AS9100 Rev D under a single international designation. Certified suppliers get a transition period after it publishes to update their quality systems.
