• AS9100, released in 1999 and revised in 2001 to align with ISO 9001:2000, is the international ISO 9001 derivative for suppliers to the aerospace industry. AS9100 takes the ISO 9001:2000 quality management systems standard covering every step and department of the manufacturing process, and inserts aerospace industry-specific requirements. AS9100 also addresses flowdown of aerospace prime contractors’ quality management system requirements to suppliers and their subcontractors. Flowdown includes specifications for parts or assembly designs, characteristics, inspections, and other process functions and product features.

• The prime aerospace contractors consider AS9100 a major step in the history of quality management in the aerospace field. Government agencies, such as the Defense Department and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), also support AS9100, though suppliers still have to meet additional federal requirements. The major difference is a drop in compliance costs and time for suppliers, due to the elimination of multiple audited governmental standards. This industry-generated standard also takes the place of programs the government has dropped.

For more information related to AS9100, see: