Aerospace Supplier Certifications – AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120

This simpleQuE infographic shows the number of AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120 aerospace supplier certifications worldwide by region. As of May 9, 2023, there was a total of 24,781 certified sites with the most occurring in the Americas and Europe. (Source: IAQG OASIS Certified Supplier Directory)

In December 1998, the aviation, space and defense industry established the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) with the goal of achieving significant improvements in quality and reductions in cost.  The IAQG developed specific requirements for aerospace quality management systems to be implemented and maintained throughout the supply chain for the design, manufacture and maintenance of products used in aviation, space and defense applications.  These requirements are the AS9100 series of standards – AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120, and they are based on the high-level structure of ISO 9001. Note that the aerospace quality standards are universally adopted, but have a different name on different continents. AS 9100 is used in the Americas, EN 9100 in Europe, and in the Asia-Pacific region JISQ 9100 (Japan) and KSQ9100 (Korea).  The requirements are the same but titles are different to reflect the region and publication date.

This table shows the number of aerospace supplier certifications for the quality management standards AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120 in the U.S. and worldwide.  With all the standards combined, there are 24,24781 aerospace certifications worldwide with 10,205 of those in the United States which is 41% of the total number of certifications.

AS9100 Aerospace Supplier Certifications

AS9100 is the international management system standard for the Aviation, Space and Defense (AS&D) industries. The standard provides suppliers with a comprehensive quality management system to satisfy customer expectations to ensure airworthy, safe and reliable products to the aerospace industry.  As of May 9, 2023, there are 21,457 AS9100:2016 (including EN9100:2018, JISQ9100:2016, and KSQ9100:2018) certifications worldwide with 9,044 issued in the U.S.

AS9110 Aerospace Supplier Certifications

The AS9110 standard defines the requirements for a quality management system (QMS) for organizations whose primary business is providing maintenance repair, and overhaul services in the aircraft industry. AS9110 is based on AS9100 and adds specific requirements for the maintenance and repair of commercial, private, and military aircrafts. This is considered a supplement to FAA Part 145 for those repair stations that have customer requirements for AS certification.  There are 882 AS9110 (including EN9110:2018 and SJAC9110:B) certifications worldwide with 325 issued in the U.S. (SJAC refers to the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies which is the sole public entity representing the interests of the Japanese aerospace industry and is comprised of approximately 140 member companies who represent a majority of the firms engaged in the manufacturing, repairing and trading of aircraft, satellite, launch vehicle and related equipment in Japan.)

AS9120 Aerospace Supplier Certifications

The AS9120 standard defines specific quality management system requirements for suppliers and distributors that provide components to the supply chain that manufacture products for the Aerospace and Defense Industries. AS9120 is based on AS9100 with specific requirements relevant for stockist or pass-through distributors.  There are 2,442 AS9120 (including EN9120:2018 and SJAC9120:A) certifications worldwide with 836 issued in the U.S as of 5/09/23.

AS Certifications Are on the Rise

When comparing the OASIS certification data from January 2018 to January 2023, AS certifications in all categories increased across the globe and in the United States. Even with the severe impacts of the pandemic over the last few years, AS9100 certifications increased an impressive 16.7% in the U.S. in a 5-year span.  AS9110 certifications are also on the rise, increasing an impressive 40.5%, and AS9120 certifications saw a 24.1% increase in the U.S.  What does the increase in certifications indicate?  That the aerospace industry is robust and growing; that more customers are requiring AS certifications; and that companies are also recognizing the value and benefits of becoming certified. If you’ve been on the fence and waiting to get certified, your competition is passing you by.

Serving aerospace and defense manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and repair stations since 2005, simpleQuE offers customized AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120, or ASA-100 (FAA AC00-56) consulting, internal auditing, and training services nationwide.