ISO 9001 is the base quality system. AS9100D adds aerospace and defense requirements on top. Flight hardware and most prime aero work is AS9100 territory. Some ground-support or non-flight work can stay on ISO 9001 if the contract says so. Read the PO, not a blog.
Shop owners and quality managers at 15–200 person plants who are being asked “do you have AS9100?”
What AS9100D adds that ISO 9001 does not
If you already run a serious ISO 9001 system, you are not starting from zero. You are adding aerospace process discipline and evidence. AS9100D is the standard in force today, not AS9100E.
- Product safety and counterfeit parts controls
- Configuration management that matches the drawing
- On-time delivery as a measured process
- Customer and regulatory requirements flowed down
- OASIS and process-effectiveness (PEAR) in the audit
ISO 9001:2026 and IA9100
Many machining and fabrication POs for flight or mission hardware require AS9100. ISO 9001 alone is often not accepted. That is a customer requirement, not a Stratos opinion.
Tooling, facilities, some MRO, and non-aerospace lines may stay on ISO 9001 or a customer checklist. If the contract is silent, ask the buyer in writing before you spend a year on AS9100.
ISO 9001:2026 is scheduled for 16 September 2026. The transition is expected to run about three years. Many 9001 shops will also be asked for 13485 or AS9100 by a customer. The next aerospace revision is IA9100, timed against ISO 9001:2026 — not AS9100E.
A practical way to decide
| Situation | Usually ISO 9001 | Usually AS9100D |
|---|---|---|
| Customer requirement | PO or quality clause names ISO 9001 only | PO, flowdown, or approved-supplier list names AS9100 / OASIS |
| Product | Non-flight industrial work, some ground equipment | Flight hardware, aero structures, defense mission parts |
| Buyer | Commercial industrial customers | Aero primes and AS9100-holding suppliers flowing down the standard |
How Stratos helps without turning this into software
Gap analysis against the standard you must meet. Then internal audits, NC-CAPA, procedures, and document control. Tony delivers the work, not a Stratos login. Plants that hold both ISO 13485 and AS9100D feel this first.
Stratos is a service, not a tool you log into. If this page does not match your contract or your registrar, follow the contract.