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EN 9100 series – certification for the aerospace industry

Prüfzeichen EN 9100

Safe in the air through specific quality management

Effective quality management is essential for safety in the commercial and military aerospace industry. The relevant standards cover the entire supply chain:

  • EN 9100: For design, development, production, assembly and development
  • EN 9110: For maintenance and repair
  • EN 9120: For distributors and stockists 

Certification is therefore often a prerequisite for approval in the industry and serves as proof of compliance with national and international requirements for a quality management system.

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Target group

The target group includes all companies in the aerospace industry supply chain – from individual parts suppliers and engineering companies to engine, component and finished product manufacturers. For suppliers to most well-known manufacturers of finished components or products (original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs), certification is required when establishing and maintaining business relationships.

Advantages: Why you benefit from ISO 9100ff certification

  • Facilitates approval and is often a prerequisite for operating as a supplier in the aerospace industry.
  • Global comparability and acceptance
  • Strengthened trust among customers and business partners
  • Compliance with a system supported by regulatory authorities
  • Reduction/prevention of errors through implementation in line with requirements
  • More efficient processes, resulting in time and cost savings
  • Presence in the international online database of the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG)

Key changes in the EN 9100 series

Two important standards in the EN 9100 family have been revised: EN 9104-1 and EN 9101. These changes affect the auditing of EN 9100, EN 9110 and EN 9120. Together, these two standards govern the planning, implementation and documentation of audits in the EN 9100 series. 

  • There are now only two certification structures instead of the previous four: "Single Site" and "Multiple Site". "Campus Site" and "Several Site" have been discontinued without replacement. The organisations previously grouped under these categories now belong to the "Multiple Site" structure.
  • The advance calculation of the audit effort (OCAP, Organisation Certification Analysis Process) is significantly more comprehensive. In addition to the size of the organisation, it takes into account QM indicators such as adherence to deadlines and customer satisfaction, complexity of processes, customer requirements, QMS factors and the internal audit system. The information is required and requested for annual audit planning.
  • The new standard defines audit time as the sum of the audit duration (the time spent on the audit itself) plus reporting and planning. At least 20 per cent of the audit time should be allocated to planning and report preparation. The time should be used to increase the effectiveness of the audit and thus the added value for the audited organisation.
  • It is irrelevant for the risk assessment whether the certified organisation generates 0, 10 or 100 per cent of its turnover with aviation customers.
  • A certified organisation must – as required by the owner of the IAQG standard – provide all data necessary for the calculation (via questionnaire) at least 90 calendar days before the planned audit date. The aforementioned deadline must be specified in advance in the contract. An audit date is mandatory. It is advisable to agree on the date for the next audit at the end of the current audit.
  • The permissible proportion of remote audits will be increased from 30 to 50 per cent.
  • The OASIS database will be upgraded to version 3, together with the calculation rules.

  • Appointments agreed in advance increase planning reliability.
  • Instead of 30% as before, up to 50% of the audit time can now be carried out remotely (on a risk-based basis) – with all the advantages of remote audits such as flexibility, lower travel costs for your and our team, the involvement of your teams regardless of their location, and access to our global network of experts.
  • For organisations with multiple locations, audit time can be allocated more flexibly – to where it is most urgently needed.
  • The risk-based approach of the new calculation method makes it possible to reduce audit time by 10% if the QMS is performing well (and to increase it by 10% if the risk is high).
  • The OASIS database is qualified for the current requirements of the industry so that it can be used even more effectively to monitor existing suppliers and search for new ones. Where a high risk is identified, more intensive auditing is carried out. This increases security in the supply chain.

And this is how it will continue for you:

The revised IA 9104-1 is expected to be published in 2025. We will carry out the transition in a special audit, which we can conduct together with your next regular audit. All OASIS database administrators will be informed about the database changeover by the standard owner via OASIS. As certified organisations generally only need to read the database or, at best, provide data for NCR processing, you can expect no significant additional effort here. 

Accreditation by DAkkS (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH) is not expected before early 2026. So you can wait and see, because the new method cannot be applied before then. 

The first audits according to the new regulations will not take place before 2026. Please note: The changeover is mandatory! 

The audit process for EN 9100 certification

1

Step 01

Enquiry, quotation preparation and explanation

2

Step 02

Commissioning & individual scheduling

3

Step 03

Audit: Understanding the organisation & determining readiness for certification

4

Step 04

Identifying potential for improvement

5

Step 05

Quick double-checking & certificate creation

6

Step 06

External TÜV certificate

7

Step 07

Continuous development of the management system and competitiveness

Industry-specific extension of ISO 9001

EN/AS 9100ff supplements ISO 9001 with industry-specific requirements regarding operational risk management and document and evidence management, so that certification according to EN/AS 9100 also facilitates proof of compliance with ISO 9001. 

Eine Vogelperspektive zeigt einen dichten Wald, der sich entlang eines Flusses erstreckt, mit grünen Bäumen

Climate change – additions to management system standards

In a joint statement in February 2024, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) explained the additions to various management system standards. The statement emphasises how important it is to take climate change into account in the various management systems.

This affects sections 4.1 and 4.2 of the respective standards. The additions are intended to ensure that organisations take climate change issues into account in connection with the effectiveness of management systems, in addition to all other aspects.

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Frequently asked questions

FAQs about EN 9100

The 9100 family represents a comprehensive quality management system for manufacturers and suppliers in the aerospace industry. It is based on the well-known ISO 9001 standard, with the addition of aerospace-specific requirements, for example in relation to operational risk management or document and evidence management. In this way, companies are certified according to both a standard from the 9100 family and ISO 9001. 

Based on the DIN EN ISO 9001 standard, there are three standards for certifying the relevant company services:

1) EN 9100 for design, development, production, assembly and maintenance

2) EN 9110 for maintenance and repair

3) EN 9120 for dealers and stockists

In addition to basic requirements for a quality management system, the standard requirements of the 9100 series focus on the following areas:

  • Process orientation and evaluation of processes using key performance indicators
  • Project management, taking into account customer-specific requirements for processes and products
  • Risk management based on analysis and evaluation, for example when using new technologies
  • Greater safety throughout the entire service life of a product
  • Traceability of all raw materials, materials, processes, tools and the qualifications of the personnel employed in accordance with customer requirements
  • Definition of safety and function: To comply with customer and regulatory requirements

In principle, all companies in the aerospace industry supply chain – from individual parts suppliers and engineering companies to engine, component and finished product manufacturers. For suppliers to most well-known manufacturers of finished components or products (original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs), certification is required when establishing and maintaining business relationships: Certification is mandatory in order to be registered as a supplier in the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG)'s international database, the Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS database).

Competent, international, TÜV NORD CERT

TÜV NORD CERT GmbH

TÜV NORD CERT is an internationally recognised and reliable partner for testing and certification services. Our experts and auditors have in-depth knowledge and are permanently employed by TÜV NORD. This guarantees independence, neutrality and continuity in the support we provide to our customers. The advantage for you is obvious: our auditors accompany and support the development of your company and give you objective feedback.

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