Aerospace QMS

An Aerospace Quality Management System (QMS) is a structured framework of documented processes, policies, and procedures designed to ensure that aerospace products and services meet specified quality and safety requirements. This system encompasses all phases of the product lifecycle, including design, development, manufacturing, testing, maintenance, and service delivery. 

Aerospace QMS implementations typically address risk management, configuration control, document management, supplier quality oversight, corrective and preventive actions, internal audits, and traceability as core operational requirements. The framework establishes requirements for competency verification, calibration management, inspection planning, and handling of nonconforming products.

Standards and Application

Aerospace QMS frameworks are most commonly aligned with AS9100, an aerospace-specific quality management standard that extends ISO 9001 requirements with additional criteria for product safety, configuration management, counterfeit parts prevention, and supply chain oversight. Organizations in the aerospace manufacturing sector, maintenance and repair operations (MRO), and aerospace distribution apply these systems to demonstrate compliance with industry and regulatory requirements set by bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). 

Related standards include AS9110 for MRO organizations and AS9120 for distributors. Some organizations also integrate requirements from NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) for specialized processes, military standards such as MIL-STD-810, and export control regulations, including ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations).

The system requires documented evidence of process controls, inspection records, training verification, and nonconformance management to support third-party audits and certification activities conducted by accredited registrars. Aerospace QMS is used across civil and defense aerospace sectors where regulatory mandates and product failure risks require systematic quality controls, complete operational traceability, and objective evidence of compliance with applicable requirements.

‍