--- title: "AS9100 vs ISO 9001: Key Differences | TEK Precision" url: https://tekprecision.com/blog/as9100-vs-iso-9001 description: "AS9100 vs ISO 9001 for aerospace buyers: what AS9100D adds for flight hardware and how to check a supplier's certificate." lang: en --- Image: Quality inspection station at TEK Precision's Deer Park, NY facility (https://tekprecision.com/assets/inspection-station-Cb9Uo3Gs.webp) All Articles (https://tekprecision.com/blog) Quality # AS9100 vs ISO 9001: What the Difference Means for Flight Hardware TEK Precision November 11, 2026 6 min read Last reviewed: November 2026 ISO 9001 is the baseline. AS9100 adds the aerospace controls flight hardware depends on. What the difference means and how to read a supplier's certificate. ISO 9001 is the general quality management standard used across every industry. AS9100 contains all of ISO 9001 and adds aerospace requirements for product safety, counterfeit parts prevention, configuration management and tighter control of production and suppliers. For flight-critical hardware, buyers usually require AS9100 because those additions cover the risks that matter most in aviation. On a supplier's website the two certificates can look alike. This guide explains what each standard covers, what AS9100 adds, and how to read a certificate before you rely on it. ## What ISO 9001 Covers ISO 9001 sets the requirements for a quality management system. It asks an organization to understand its customers' requirements, plan and control its processes, address risks and opportunities, measure results and improve over time. It is deliberately generic. The same standard applies to a software company, a hospital and a machine shop. That flexibility is its strength, and it is also why aerospace customers decided it was not enough on its own. ISO 9001 does not ask a supplier to control drawing revisions in a specific way, to guard against counterfeit material, or to treat a part as safety-critical. In aviation, those gaps can decide whether a part is airworthy. ## What AS9100 Adds AS9100 is developed by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), whose members include the major aerospace and defense manufacturers. The current revision, AS9100D, was released in 2016 and follows the same clause structure as ISO 9001:2015. Every ISO 9001 requirement is included, with aerospace requirements added inside the same clauses. | Area | ISO 9001:2015 | AS9100D | | --- | --- | --- | | Product safety | No specific requirement | Processes to manage product safety through the product life cycle | | Counterfeit parts | No specific requirement | Controls to prevent counterfeit or suspect parts from entering product | | Configuration management | No specific requirement | Control of product configuration and changes | | Operational risk | Risk-based thinking | Formal risk management for operational processes | | Production process verification | No specific requirement | Verification of new or changed processes, such as first article inspection | | Critical items and key characteristics | No specific requirement | Identification and control required | | Supplier control | Required | Expanded, including flow-down of customer requirements to sub-tier suppliers | ## Why Those Additions Matter for Flight Hardware Each addition maps to a real failure mode in aerospace: ### Product safety A rotor control link or a hydraulic fitting can bring down an aircraft if it fails. AS9100 requires a supplier to plan for that, not just to inspect for it. ### Counterfeit parts prevention Counterfeit or misrepresented material and hardware have entered aerospace supply chains before. AS9100 requires controls to detect and keep them out, which ties directly to full material traceability (https://tekprecision.com/blog/aerospace-material-traceability-buyers-guide). ### Configuration management Flight parts are built to a specific drawing revision. Configuration control makes sure the part you receive matches the revision on your purchase order, and that changes are approved before they reach production. ### Production process verification A first article should prove the process, not just one part. Our guide to first-article inspection (https://tekprecision.com/blog/first-article-inspection-flight-critical-hardware) explains what a complete FAI package contains. ## A Certificate Is Only as Good as Its Scope AS9100 certification is issued by an accredited certification body, and 9100-series certificates are recorded in the IAQG's OASIS database (https://iaqg.org/oasis/login), where buyers can check them. Before you rely on a certificate, confirm four things: 1. **Standard and status:** the revision named and whether the certificate is current. 2. **Scope:** the activities covered, which must include the work you are buying. 3. **Site:** the facility that will actually make your parts. 4. **Issuer and accreditation:** who issued it, and under which accreditation. As an example, TEK Precision's certificate is published on its quality page (https://tekprecision.com/quality). It is an AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 certificate, number 275724, issued by Amtivo (USA) Inc. under ANAB accreditation (ICOP scheme). The certified scope is machining and assembly of rotary head and fixed wing components for the aerospace industry. Because AS9100 contains ISO 9001, one certificate covers both standards. ## Certification Is Not the Same as Customer Approval AS9100 is the floor, not the ceiling. Major OEMs add their own supplier quality requirements and audit against them. A supplier can hold AS9100 and still not be approved by the OEM whose parts you need. Customer approvals are earned through OEM audits and sustained delivery and quality performance, and they can be suspended if performance slips, so ask when each was last confirmed. Ask which customer approvals a supplier holds and whether they apply to your part. TEK Precision, for example, is certified to Sikorsky Supplier Quality Requirements (SSQR / Procure 2-011) and recognized by Northrop Grumman as a Preferred Source Supplier, with performance awards listed on the awards page (https://tekprecision.com/awards). ## When ISO 9001 Alone May Be Acceptable Not every purchase needs AS9100. Non-flight items such as some tooling, ground equipment or packaging may be bought from ISO 9001 suppliers if the contract allows it. The purchase order, the drawing and your customer's flow-down requirements decide. For flight hardware, assume AS9100 will be required unless your contract says otherwise. ## Questions to Ask About a Supplier's AS9100 System A certificate shows that a system passed its last audit. These questions show how it works day to day: 1. How do you flow our drawing, specification and quality requirements down to sub-tier suppliers and special processors? 2. How are critical items and key characteristics identified on our parts, and how are they inspected? 3. What happens when a drawing revision changes while a job is in process? 4. How do you prevent counterfeit or suspect material from entering production? 5. When was your last surveillance audit, and were there any open findings? 6. Can we see a completed first article package and the traceability trail for a recent job? A supplier with a mature system will answer with examples, not just procedure numbers. For the wider evaluation, including calibration, inspection independence and special processes, see how to evaluate an aerospace machining supplier (https://tekprecision.com/blog/how-to-evaluate-aerospace-machining-supplier). ## What Is Changing The IAQG is preparing the next revision of the 9100 standard, expected to carry the name IA9100 and to follow the latest revision of ISO 9001. Until it is published and a transition period is set, AS9100D remains the current requirement. Check the IAQG's announcements for timing before you change any supplier requirements. ## Frequently Asked Questions Does an AS9100 certificate include ISO 9001? Yes. AS9100 contains every ISO 9001 requirement plus aerospace additions, so many certificates name both standards, as TEK Precision's AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 certificate does. How can I verify a supplier's AS9100 certificate? Ask for a copy of the certificate, then check the standard, scope, site and issuer. 9100-series certificates are also recorded in the IAQG OASIS database. Is AS9100 required for all aerospace parts? Not always. The purchase order, drawing and customer flow-down requirements decide. Flight hardware buyers usually require AS9100, while some non-flight items may be bought under ISO 9001. Does AS9100 replace OEM supplier requirements? No. OEMs such as Sikorsky and Northrop Grumman add their own supplier quality requirements and approvals on top of AS9100. TP Written by TEK Precision Related Articles ## More from Quality Quality ### Full Material Traceability: From Mill Cert to Shipped Flight Part October 9, 2026 https://tekprecision.com/blog/aerospace-material-traceability-buyers-guide Quality ### Calibration and Temperature Control: Keeping Measurements True Through Winter October 9, 2026 https://tekprecision.com/blog/aerospace-calibration-temperature-control Quality ### Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers or Microhardness: Choosing the Right Test September 30, 2026 https://tekprecision.com/blog/hardness-testing-methods-aerospace-parts ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://tekprecision.com/#organization", "name": "TEK Precision Co., Ltd.", "alternateName": "TEK Precision", "url": "https://tekprecision.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://tekprecision.com/brand/tek-logo.webp" }, "foundingDate": "1968", "description": "Precision aerospace manufacturer of flight safety-critical components, hydraulic assemblies and mechanical assemblies for rotorcraft and fixed-wing platforms.", "email": "teksales@tekprecision.com", "telephone": "+1-631-242-0330", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "205 West Industry Court", "addressLocality": "Deer Park", "addressRegion": "NY", "postalCode": "11729", "addressCountry": "US" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/tek-precision/" ], "hasCredential": { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "credentialCategory": "certification", "name": "AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015", "identifier": "275724", "description": "AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 certified. 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