AS9100 to IA9100: Aerospace QMS Prepared for the Future

May 12, 2025

In industries where safety, reliability and performance are non-negotiable, quality standards must go beyond the basics. The aerospace and defense industries easily fall into this category. Almost every aspect of their operations must adhere to AS9100, the benchmark quality management system (QMS) standard tailored for organizations working in the aerospace and defense sectors.

Manufacturers, suppliers and service providers working in these fields understand that compliance with AS9100—and its coming evolution into IA9100—is essential for meeting industry expectations and maintaining a competitive edge.

Below we take a look at AS9100, the upcoming change to IA9100 and the best ways to ensure quality, safety and compliance in the aerospace industry.

What is AS9100?

AS9100 is an internationally accepted quality system standard for the aviation, space and defense industries. It is managed by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), which consists of representatives of industry organizations from the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia/Pacific.

The standard is built off of the general quality management system standards outlined in ISO 9001, with the addition of important industry-specific guidelines. The goal of the standard is the safe development, production and distribution of high-quality, reliable aerospace parts and products.

What are AS9100 requirements?

AS9100 requires everything that is stipulated in ISO 9001, with the addition of industry-specific provisions. The industry-specific requirements create more stringent controls befitting the significance of the industries it serves.

At a high level, AS9100-specific requirements include:

Additional production and operations controls
More in-depth risk identification and assessment
A dedicated management representative to oversee the QMS
Deeper employee involvement in total quality
Expanded nonconformance actions
Close control of external resources, including prevention of counterfeit parts
Specific design and development testing and validation

For more detailed information visit: AS9100 Standard

What is IA9100?

Revisions to AS9100 by the IAQG are underway and expected to be released sometime in 2026, rebranded as IA9100. The changes are designed to ensure aerospace standards continue to responsibly meet quality, safety and reliability into the future. Though not finalized, documents published by the IAQG indicate key changes will mostly serve to clarify the current standards.

Still, there will be some new elements. Some of the notable expected revisions include:

New, more stringent requirements for information security to safeguard the QMS
Addition of APQP as a method for operational planning and control
New requirements for the control of counterfeit parts, including training, obsolescence monitoring, traceability, testing and containment
Requirements to plan periodic QMS maturity assessments and set improvement goals and objectives
Provisions to address the environmental impact of aerospace activities on climate change and promote sustainability practices within the industry

AS9100 vs. ISO 9001

As noted above, AS9100 utilizes ISO 9001: 2015 standards but expands on its tenets to incorporate controls that are more meaningful to the aerospace and defense industries. Some of these include:

Aerospace-specific definitions of “counterfeit part” and “product safety”
Requirement for a leadership representative to be directly involved with quality management
Mandate to ensure pertinent staff understand product conformity, safety and the importance of ethical behavior as pertains to their industry
Expanded data protection procedures for electronic documentation
Addition of industry-specific requirements to prevent the use of counterfeit parts
More stringent requirements for design and development inputs, outputs and changes
Deeper controls for external providers (direct and sub-tier)
Procedures to define nonconforming processes and responsibilities
Addition of on-time delivery to performance evaluation
Consideration of human factors in preventing the recurrence of nonconformities

The above is a general overview of the difference between AS9100 and ISO 9001. For more detailed information about the current AS9100 standard, visit: AS9100 Standard.

What is the role of an aerospace quality management system (QMS)?

An aerospace quality management system provides a framework for managing the quality, safety and compliance efforts required of products and services produced by aerospace and defense industries.

Aerospace QMS software creates efficiencies and cost savings by automating, streamlining and centralizing quality management processes and data. Digital tools and dynamic integrations are used to monitor and manage design, manufacturing and distribution, helping to ensure that industry and regulatory standards are met.

What are the benefits of using AS9100 aerospace QMS software?

Beyond supporting all compliance efforts, an aerospace QMS enables those producing in the aerospace and defense sectors to quickly and easily mitigate risks, reduce nonconformity and drive down the costs of poor quality.

Using QMS software affords greater productivity, accuracy and collaboration, thereby also improving time to market, lowering costs and reducing risk. A robust QMS software includes and integrates applications that support everything from audit management to supplier management to inspections, giving aerospace companies a total picture of quality.

What is AS9100 certification and is it necessary?

Though not a legal requirement of working in the aerospace industry, AS9100 certification is very often a requirement of organizations looking for aerospace suppliers or partners.

Certification is attained through a third-party certified auditing body, who will conduct site visits and review the quality management system to ensure it meets the AS9100 standard’s requirements. Once certification is granted, it is maintained via annual audits, with full re-certification every three years.

Why choose QT9 QMS to help maintain AS9100 compliance?

QT9 QMS can help simplify your path toward AS9100 certification and compliance. Our QMS software is available in either a web-based or on-premise platform. It provides more than 25 modules to help meet all your safety and compliance goals, including:

Document Control
Risk Management
Audit Management
Nonconforming Products
Corrective Actions
Change Management
Supplier Management
Management Review

QT9 QMS is a highly rated quality management solution geared toward regulatory compliance and efficient systems. Our QMS software offers an easy user interface and is backed by free software updates, full customer support, seamless integration with QT9 ERP and a Business Intelligence tool.

Conclusion

Adopting and maintaining AS9100 certification helps aerospace and defense companies deliver products and services that meet the highest levels of safety, quality and performance. With new updates on the horizon under IA9100, now is the perfect time for organizations to evaluate their current quality management systems and consider how modern QMS software can streamline compliance and support continuous improvement.

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