The quality standard for the aerospace and defence supply chain: builds on ISO 9001:2015 and adds the controls required to design, manufacture or maintain aviation parts.
EN 9100:2018 is the European version of a single quality standard for the aerospace, space and defence supply chain developed by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), the sector body that brings together the major manufacturers alongside their national associations. The same technical content is published under three regional names: EN 9100:2018 in Europe, AS9100D in North America and JIS Q 9100:2016 in Japan and Asia-Pacific. Faced with a US client asking for AS9100D, the normative content is the same, and the certificate is recognised through the ICOP scheme and OASIS.
The standard incorporates the full structure and requirements of ISO 9001:2015 (in fact, it requires that to already be in place) and adds on top the specific controls that a general manufacturer does not need: configuration management of the product and its changes, control of counterfeit or unapproved-source parts in the supply chain, operational risk management with a preventive approach, control of foreign object debris (FOD) in the manufacturing and assembly process, and an explicit definition of product safety that requires assessing the risk of every process that can affect whether the part performs its function without endangering people.
The IAQG is working on a future revision that will unify the three regional names under IA9100; according to industry sources, the publication target is late 2026, aligned with the ISO 9001 revision, although that date is presented as a forecast, not a firm commitment. Until that revision is published, EN 9100:2018 remains the standard in force for certification, and current certificates would retain their validity during whatever transition period is set.
Certification is issued by a certification body accredited for this specific scheme, not by the IAQG or Summum; the particular feature of the sector is that, besides the certificate, the result of every audit is recorded in OASIS (Online Aerospace Supplier Information System), the database managed by the IAQG that major manufacturers check directly to qualify suppliers. A certificate with open findings not yet closed in OASIS counts against the supplier even if the paper certificate is still valid.
Summum Calidad supports the implementation of the system through to the certification audit: we do not certify and we do not replace the accredited body or the IAQG. We work with manufacturers, machining workshops, surface treatment providers and component suppliers who want to enter or strengthen their position in the supply chain for aerospace and defence programmes, both civil and military.
The IAQG publishes three different standards depending on the company's role in the aerospace supply chain. Confusing them is the most common mistake when starting out: a maintenance workshop does not need full EN 9100, and a component distributor does not either.
| Standard | Who it is for | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| EN 9100 | Manufacturers: design, development, production, installation and after-sales service | The most demanding of the three; the basis for EN 9110 and EN 9120 |
| EN 9110 | Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organisations for civil, private or military aircraft | Specific maintenance requirements on top of EN 9100 |
| EN 9120 | Distributors and stockists of aerospace components | Traceability and prevention of counterfeit parts in distribution |
All three share the ISO 9001 foundation and the same IAQG governance scheme, but a manufacturer that designs and produces parts certifies EN 9100; if it also offers maintenance on what it manufactures, it may need EN 9110 for that specific activity.
The clause structure is the same as ISO 9001:2015; what changes is the depth and the mandatory nature of controls that are optional or generic in ISO 9001.
| Additional requirement | What it requires in practice |
|---|---|
| Configuration management | Identification, change control and documented traceability of each version of the product and its technical definition |
| Counterfeit or unapproved-source parts | Staff training to detect them, control of supply sources and a containment procedure when they appear |
| Product safety | Documented risk assessment of every process that can affect whether the part performs its function without endangering people |
| Foreign object debris (FOD) control | Specific procedures and controls, signage and cleaning in critical manufacturing, assembly and testing areas |
| Operational risk management | Proactive identification, assessment and mitigation of risk in product, process and supply chain |
| Reinforced supplier control | Periodic performance evaluation of each critical supplier and the scope of their own certification |
None of these points is solved with a generic template: each company has to decide how it controls the configuration of its own product or which areas of its plant are critical for FOD, and demonstrate it with real records.
The aerospace sector adds a layer that does not exist in most ISO certifications: public traceability of every audit result. OASIS (Online Aerospace Supplier Information System) is the database managed by the IAQG with the audit results of organisations certified to EN 9100/AS9100/JIS Q 9100 worldwide; major manufacturers check it directly to decide or maintain a supplier's approval. The certification body, besides auditing, operates under the IAQG's ICOP scheme and publishes the result in OASIS.
This changes how the audit is prepared: passing it is not enough, any finding has to be closed within the deadline the scheme requires so the OASIS record stays clean. An unresolved major finding visible in OASIS can block a business relationship even if the certificate is still formally valid.
EN 9100 certification is issued by a certification body accredited for this specific scheme (not any ISO 9001 accreditation qualifies), operating under the IAQG's ICOP scheme. Summum Calidad is not a certification body and is not part of the IAQG: we support the design of the system, the implementation of the additional controls and the preparation for the audit, but it is always the accredited body that certifies and decides the outcome.
In Spain, manufacturers with their own EN 9100 certificate coexist with tier 2 or tier 3 suppliers working for an already certified Tier 1; in both cases the starting point is usually an implemented ISO 9001 system, on top of which the aerospace requirements are built.
We determine whether the company needs EN 9100 (design and manufacturing), EN 9110 (maintenance) or EN 9120 (distribution) based on its actual role in the supply chain, and analyse the gap against ISO 9001:2015 and the additional aerospace requirements.
We build or adapt the management system: configuration management, control of counterfeit parts, product safety, FOD control, operational risk management and reinforced supplier control, with the documentation and records the audit will expect to find.
We train the quality, production and engineering team on the specific requirements of EN 9100 and run an internal mock audit to verify the system works with real data, not just on paper.
We coordinate the selection of the certification body accredited for the EN 9100 scheme, prepare stage 1 and stage 2 audits, and support closing any finding within the ICOP scheme's deadline before the result is recorded in OASIS.
The operational detail: what we deliver as part of the work and what we keep alive afterwards.
Assessment and scope (EN 9100/9110/9120)
Determining which standard matches the company's actual role in the aerospace supply chain and gap analysis against ISO 9001:2015.
Configuration management
Procedure for identifying, controlling changes to and documenting the traceability of each version of the product and its technical definition.
Counterfeit parts prevention and FOD control
Procedures to control supply sources, staff training and specific foreign object controls in critical areas.
Operational risk management and product safety
Methodology for identifying, assessing and mitigating risk in product, process and supply chain, with documented product safety assessment.
Training and internal mock audit
Workshops for the quality, production and engineering team, and an internal audit before certification using real production data.
Support through the certification audit
Selection of the accredited body, preparation for stage 1 and 2 audits, and closing findings within the ICOP scheme's deadline.
Normas y reglamentos verificados que aplican a este servicio: EN 9100:2018, EN 9110, EN 9120….
An EN 9100-certified aerospace supplier usually also needs support with R&D funding calls for its technology improvement plan and, when it handles defence programme information, a certifiable information security system.
The equivalent standard for the automotive sector: the same pattern of extending ISO 9001 with sector-specific requirements, a useful reference for suppliers serving both sectors.
View service → consultoríaAerospace and defence programmes are often accompanied by R&D funding calls; Summum Consultoría manages the search for and application to those grants.
View service → calidadWhen the supplier handles technical or defence programme information with confidentiality requirements, ISO 27001 covers information security in a certifiable way.
View service →Yes, in technical content. EN 9100:2018, AS9100D and JIS Q 9100:2016 are the same standard from the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), published under three regional names. An EN 9100 certificate issued in Spain is recognised by clients asking for AS9100D in the United States, because the normative content is identical.
EN 9100:2018 fully incorporates the structure and requirements of ISO 9001:2015 and adds the aerospace controls on top. In practice, almost every company certifies both standards together or starts from an existing ISO 9001 system, because building the generic base first makes the sector-specific part faster.
No. Certification is issued by a certification body accredited for the EN 9100 scheme, operating under the IAQG's ICOP scheme. Our role is to support setting up the system and get it ready for the audit; the outcome and the certificate always depend on the accredited body chosen.
OASIS is the database managed by the IAQG with the audit results of organisations certified to EN 9100, AS9100 or JIS Q 9100 worldwide. Major manufacturers check it to qualify suppliers; an unresolved audit finding visible in OASIS can weigh more than the paper certificate itself.
EN 9100 is for those who design and manufacture; EN 9110 adds the specific requirements for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft on top of EN 9100; EN 9120 is for distributors and stockists of aerospace components, focused on traceability and preventing counterfeit parts.
Yes. Company size is not a requirement of the standard; what it requires is having the controls (configuration, counterfeit parts, product safety, FOD) resolved in proportion to what is actually manufactured. Many tier 2 and tier 3 aerospace supply chain suppliers are SMEs doing machining or surface treatments.
The IAQG is working on a revision that will unify the three regional names under IA9100, with an indicative publication target of late 2026 aligned with the ISO 9001 revision. There is no confirmed official date; until it is published, EN 9100:2018 remains the standard in force for certification.
Not directly: EN 9100 focuses on product and process quality. When a defence programme requires specific controls over technical or classified information, that requirement is covered by a separate certifiable information security system, such as ISO 27001.