Aerospace Approved Supplier

Becoming an aerospace approved supplier has gotten complicated with all the certifications, audits, and evolving standards flying around. A buddy of mine runs a small machine shop, and when he first told me he wanted to get into the aerospace supply chain, I asked him if he enjoyed paperwork. He laughed. He’s not laughing anymore — he’s knee-deep in documentation and loving every minute of it, because the payoff is worth the effort. Being an aerospace approved supplier means you’ve met the strict standards that aviation authorities and manufacturers set for anyone who wants to supply parts or services to the industry. It’s a stamp of quality, safety, and reliability that opens doors most companies can’t even knock on.

The Importance of Quality Standards

Aerospace isn’t like most industries. A bad weld on a fence post is annoying. A bad weld on an aircraft component can be catastrophic. That’s why the standards are so demanding — there’s no room for “good enough” when lives are literally at stake.

The big-name standards you’ll run into are AS9100, ISO 9001, and NADCAP. AS9100 is the go-to quality management system for aerospace. It builds on ISO 9001 but adds specific requirements around risk management and product safety. If you’re AS9100 certified, you’re telling the industry you take quality seriously across every aspect of your operation.

NADCAP — the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program — focuses on special manufacturing processes like welding, heat treating, and non-destructive testing. Getting NADCAP accreditation means your processes have been independently verified to meet some seriously high bars.

Qualification Process for Suppliers

You don’t just fill out a form and become an approved supplier. The qualification process is thorough, and honestly, it should be. It starts with an application where you lay out your quality systems and processes in detail. Then comes the audit.

Probably should have led with this: the audit is where the rubber meets the road. Auditors — either from the buyer or a third-party organization — go through your entire operation with a fine-tooth comb. Materials management, manufacturing processes, product inspections, traceability — nothing gets skipped. If they find gaps or deficiencies, you’ve got to fix them before you get the green light.

And it doesn’t end there. Once you’re approved, you get re-audited on a regular schedule. Slip up, and you can lose your approved status. That keeps everyone honest and ensures the standards don’t just apply on audit day — they apply every day.

Benefits of Being an Aerospace Approved Supplier

The upside of going through all that effort is substantial. First, it opens up business opportunities that are simply closed to non-approved suppliers. Aerospace companies strongly prefer — and often require — working with approved suppliers. That’s a big market to have access to.

Your reputation in the industry gets a real boost too. Other potential customers see that approval as a signal that you’re the real deal. That’s what makes aerospace approval endearing to smaller manufacturers trying to build credibility — it’s an objective, third-party validation that you do quality work.

There are internal benefits as well. Going through the certification process usually forces you to tighten up your operations in ways that reduce waste, improve efficiency, and catch problems earlier. Many suppliers report that the discipline of meeting aerospace standards actually made their entire business run better, not just the aerospace side.

Challenges Faced By Suppliers

Let’s not sugarcoat it — maintaining aerospace approved status is hard work. Compliance takes real investment in people, training, equipment, and documentation systems. You need every employee to understand why the standards matter, not just follow them robotically.

Standards evolve too. When requirements change, you’ve got to adapt your processes and systems accordingly. That means staying plugged into the industry and being ready to adjust, sometimes on short timelines.

Documentation alone can feel like a second full-time job. You need records for everything — materials sourcing, process parameters, inspection results, corrective actions. All of it needs to be organized, current, and accessible for audits.

And delivery schedules? They’re non-negotiable in aerospace. Late parts can cascade through the supply chain and ground aircraft. You need solid production management systems to hit your timelines consistently, because missing a delivery isn’t just losing an order — it’s potentially losing the relationship.

Key Areas of Focus

There are several areas where approved suppliers need to concentrate their energy:

• Traceability: You’ve got to track every material and process from raw stock to finished part. If a problem surfaces years later, you need to trace it back to the source. No exceptions.
• Document Management: Procedures, specifications, quality records — it all needs to be thorough, accurate, and easily retrievable. Auditors will ask for specific documents, and you’d better have them.
• Risk Management: Identifying and dealing with potential supply chain risks before they become actual problems. That includes vetting your own suppliers and managing any process changes carefully.
• Employee Training: Everyone who touches the product needs to be properly trained and current on their certifications. Regular refresher training keeps skills sharp and catches bad habits early.
• Customer Communication: Keeping open lines with your clients is huge. Understanding their requirements, updating them on progress, and being upfront about any issues builds the kind of trust that sustains long-term relationships.

Examples of Aerospace Standards

Here’s a quick rundown of the major standards you’ll encounter in the aerospace supply chain:

• AS9100: The flagship quality management system for aerospace. Covers everything from risk management to continuous improvement. If you only get one certification, this is the one.
• AS9110: Specifically for repair and maintenance organizations working on aerospace products. Different scope, similar rigor.
• AS9120: Aimed at distributors of aerospace parts. Covers warehousing, traceability, and customer satisfaction requirements.
• NADCAP: Accredits special processes like heat treating, coatings, and composite production. If your operation involves any special processes, NADCAP accreditation is likely a requirement from your customers.

Technological Innovations

Staying current with technology is part of staying approved. Suppliers who invest in new capabilities often find themselves in a stronger competitive position.

Additive manufacturing — 3D printing, essentially — lets suppliers create complex, lightweight components that would be difficult or impossible to make with traditional methods. But it’s not a free pass; 3D-printed aerospace parts require just as much validation and testing as conventionally manufactured ones.

Advanced materials like carbon composites offer better strength-to-weight ratios than traditional metals. Working with these materials requires specific expertise and equipment, but the demand for composite components keeps growing.

Automated inspection systems, including robotics and advanced imaging, make quality checks more precise and consistent. Less human error, better documentation, and faster throughput — it’s a win on multiple fronts.

The Role of Certification Bodies

Several organizations serve as the gatekeepers for aerospace supplier approval. They conduct the audits, issue the certifications, and maintain the databases that aerospace companies use to find qualified suppliers.

The International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) manages the AS9100 family of standards. Their certified auditors evaluate suppliers against the requirements and issue certifications to those who pass.

The Performance Review Institute (PRI) runs the NADCAP program. They audit special processes and provide accreditation to suppliers who meet the specifications.

Being listed in these certification databases is valuable in itself. Aerospace companies searching for new suppliers often start there, so your visibility and credibility get an automatic boost.

Maintaining Approved Status

Getting approved is one thing. Staying approved is the ongoing challenge. It takes continuous effort — regular self-audits, process reviews, and a genuine commitment to getting better.

Internal audits are your best friend here. Regularly scheduled reviews of your own quality management system help you spot problems before an external auditor does. Think of them as practice exams that actually count.

Continuous improvement methodologies like Six Sigma or Lean Manufacturing can help tighten up your operations over time. They’re not magic bullets, but they provide frameworks for systematically reducing waste and improving quality.

Strong relationships with your customers and certification bodies matter more than you might think. Being responsive to feedback, transparent about issues, and proactive about improvements builds goodwill that helps during the inevitable tough audits.

Focus on these areas consistently, and you’ll not only maintain your approved status — you’ll build a business that produces better products, wins more contracts, and contributes to the safety and performance of the aircraft that depend on your work.