ISO 9001 vs AS9100: What's the Difference?
Short answer: AS9100 is ISO 9001 with aerospace requirements added. AS9100 Revision D contains all of ISO 9001:2015 and adds requirements for aviation, space and defence. These include product safety, counterfeit parts prevention, configuration management, operational risk management, key characteristics, first article inspection and control of foreign object debris (FOD). Any organization can certify to ISO 9001. AS9100 is aimed at organizations that design, make or support aerospace products, and it is certified under the aerospace industry's own scheme.
Side by side
| ISO 9001 | AS9100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Current edition | ISO 9001:2026 (published 16 Sep 2026). ISO 9001:2015 certificates must transition by 30 Sep 2029. | AS9100 Rev D (2016), built on ISO 9001:2015. Its successor, IA9100, is in development with no published date. |
| Who it's for | Any organization, any sector | Organizations that design, develop or produce aviation, space and defence products (AS9110 covers MRO, and AS9120 covers distributors) |
| Owner | ISO (International Organization for Standardization) | IAQG (International Aerospace Quality Group). Published as AS9100 by SAE International, EN 9100 in Europe and JIS Q 9100 in Japan. |
| Requirements | Core QMS requirements | All ISO 9001 requirements plus aerospace-specific additions |
| Certification bodies | Accredited by an accreditation body such as SCC (Canada) or ANAB (US) | Accredited and approved under the IAQG certification scheme (9104 series), using aerospace-authenticated auditors |
| Public record | Varies by certification body | Certificates and audit data are recorded in IAQG's OASIS database |
| Typical driver | Customer requirement, tenders, internal improvement | Aerospace OEM and prime contractor supply-chain requirements |
What AS9100D adds to ISO 9001 (in plain language)
Operational risk management: a planned process for the risks of delivering product
Configuration management: keeping the product definition and the product itself in step
Product safety: knowing which features affect safe use, and making sure staff know their part
Counterfeit parts prevention: training, approved sources, traceability, verification and quarantine
Special requirements, critical items and key characteristics: identified early and controlled in production
Production process verification: usually a first article inspection to AS9102 (see AS9102)
FOD prevention: detecting and removing foreign objects
External providers: a supplier register with approval status and scope, and fuller purchase order flow-down
Awareness: people understand their contribution to product conformity and safety, and why ethical behaviour matters
Corrective action: considering human factors in root cause analysis, and flowing actions down to suppliers when they caused the problem
On-time delivery: monitored as part of performance and customer satisfaction
Paradygm's paraphrase. This page only compares the two standards. For guidance on each topic, see AS9100D Guidance.
Which one do you need?
You supply aerospace, space or defence customers who require AS9100. Certify to AS9100D directly. You don't need a separate ISO 9001 certificate first.
You serve many industries and aerospace is only a small part. ISO 9001 may be enough. Check each customer's purchase order and quality clauses.
You maintain or repair aircraft. Look at AS9110.
You distribute aerospace parts without changing them. Look at AS9120.
ISO 9001:2026 and IA9100: what the timing means
ISO 9001:2026 is published. A standalone ISO 9001:2015 certificate must move to ISO 9001:2026 by 30 September 2029.
AS9100D certificates remain valid. IAQG has not yet published IA9100, a release date or a transition deadline. IA9100 is expected to align with the new ISO 9001.
If you hold both certificates, plan the two transitions together, and ask your certification body how it will schedule them.
Already on ISO 9001?
Most of your quality management system carries over to AS9100, and the gap is the aerospace-specific additions. For how we help with that move, see AS9100 consulting.
Frequently asked questions
Is AS9100 harder than ISO 9001?
It has more requirements, because it includes all of ISO 9001 plus aerospace-specific ones. With an existing ISO 9001 system, most of the work is in the additions.
Do I need ISO 9001 before AS9100?
No. AS9100D includes ISO 9001's requirements, so you can certify to AS9100D directly.
Does an AS9100 certificate also cover ISO 9001?
AS9100D includes all ISO 9001:2015 requirements. Whether your certificate also states ISO 9001 depends on your certification body, so ask it how it reports this.
Is AS9100 changing because of ISO 9001:2026?
Yes, eventually. IAQG is developing IA9100 to follow the new ISO 9001. It has not announced a publication date or transition deadline, and AS9100D stays valid until then.
Who can certify us to AS9100?
Only a certification body approved under the IAQG scheme. Its auditors must be aerospace-authenticated, and it records your certificate in IAQG's OASIS database.