AS 9110 Form – Quality Management System Manual PDF

What Is the AS9110 Quality Management Standard?

The AS9110 standard is a Quality Management System specification developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). It defines requirements for organizations that provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for aviation equipment. The standard extends the ISO 9001 framework with aviation-specific controls for safety, configuration management, traceability, and regulatory compliance.

The current version, AS9110C, was published in 2016 and aligns with ISO 9001:2015. Over 20,000 organizations worldwide hold AS9100-series certifications, demonstrating that their quality systems meet rigorous international standards. The IAQG maintains the standard under the oversight of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) in North America, the Association of European Airlines (ASD) in Europe, and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies (SJAC) in Asia.

AS9110 certification is recognized by airlines, defense contractors, and civil aviation authorities in more than 40 countries. For aviation MRO providers, holding AS9110 certification is often a competitive requirement for winning maintenance contracts from major carriers and defense organizations.

How Does AS9110 Differ from AS9100 and AS9120?

The AS9110 standard is one of three quality management standards in the AS9000-series maintained by the IAQG. Each standard targets a different type of aerospace organization. Understanding the distinctions helps organizations select and implement the correct standard.

• AS9100 covers the design, development, production, and installation of aerospace products. It applies to manufacturers, development organizations, and companies that deliver physical aerospace hardware or software. AS9100 includes requirements for design control, first article inspection, and production validation that are not relevant to maintenance organizations.
• AS9110 covers maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for aviation products and their components. It applies to aircraft maintenance centers, component repair shops, avionics service companies, and ground support equipment maintenance providers. The standard adds aviation-specific requirements for return-to-service documentation, airworthiness data management, and customer-designated special requirements.
• AS9120 covers the procurement and distribution of aerospace parts and assemblies. It applies to distributors, stockists, and broker organizations. AS9120 focuses on traceability, counterfeit part prevention, and certification of conformance requirements specific to the distribution supply chain.

Some organizations hold multiple AS9000-series certifications. A company that both manufactures components and provides maintenance services may need both AS9100 and AS9110 certifications to cover all of its activities.

What Are the 8 Key Sections of the AS9110 Quality Manual?

The AS9110 Quality Manual template organizes quality management requirements into eight numbered sections. Each section maps directly to a clause of the SAE AS9110C standard and must be addressed with documented policies, procedures, and records.

1. Section 1 – Scope: Defines the boundaries of the QMS. This section identifies which facilities, departments, processes, products, and services are included in your quality system. It also lists any exclusions and provides justification for each exclusion. A clearly defined scope helps auditors understand the boundaries of the certification and helps customers know exactly what quality controls apply to the work you perform.
2. Section 2 – Normative References: Lists the standards, regulations, and documents that govern the organization's QMS. For aviation MRO providers, this typically includes AS9110C, applicable national airworthiness regulations, customer-specific quality requirements, and any industry documents adopted by reference. Keeping this section current ensures your QMS references the latest versions of all applicable standards.
3. Section 3 – Terms and Definitions: Establishes the key terminology used throughout the manual. This section ensures that all employees, customers, and auditors share a common understanding of the quality management vocabulary. Aviation maintenance has specialized terminology that may differ from general manufacturing, so this section is particularly important for organizations new to the AS9110 standard.
4. Section 4 – Quality Management System: Documents the overall structure and architecture of the QMS. This includes the documentation hierarchy (manual, procedures, work instructions, records), the document control process, and the requirements for maintaining quality records. This section also addresses the management of quality plans and the requirements for process approach and risk-based thinking.
5. Section 5 – Management Responsibility: Outlines the leadership's commitment to quality and the organizational structure for quality management. This section includes the quality policy, quality objectives, management review processes, and the designation of a Management Representative responsible for maintaining the QMS. Clear management commitment is one of the most important indicators of a healthy quality culture.
6. Section 6 – Resource Management: Addresses the resources required to operate the QMS effectively. This covers personnel competency and training requirements, awareness programs, infrastructure and work environment requirements, and the calibration and maintenance of monitoring and measuring equipment. Aviation maintenance requires particularly rigorous controls over personnel qualifications and equipment calibration.
7. Section 7 – Product and Service Realization: Details the planning and control of all maintenance, repair, and overhaul processes. This is the most extensive section and covers customer requirements analysis, work order planning, supplier qualification and monitoring, technical data management, maintenance process controls, first article inspection, and final inspection and test procedures. AS9110 adds specific requirements for return-to-service documentation, configuration control, and the handling of unserviceable parts.
8. Section 8 – Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement: Defines the monitoring and measurement activities that demonstrate the QMS is working as intended. This includes internal audit schedules and processes, customer satisfaction monitoring, statistical process control methods, control of nonconforming products and services, corrective action processes, and preventive action procedures. This section also addresses the analysis of quality data to identify trends and drive continuous improvement.

How Do You Complete the AS9110 Form Step by Step?

Completing the AS9110 Quality Manual requires input from management, quality personnel, and subject matter experts across the organization. The process typically takes 4 to 8 weeks for an organization with existing quality processes. Use these steps to work through the template systematically.

1. Define your QMS scope: Start by identifying all sites, product lines, and services covered by your quality system. Document any processes or activities you plan to exclude from the scope, along with the justification for each exclusion. Scope definition is one of the most important steps, as it determines what the certification body will audit.
2. Write your quality policy: Draft a management statement of 2 to 4 sentences that commits the organization to meeting customer requirements and continuously improving the QMS. The quality policy must be appropriate for the purpose of the organization and provide a framework for establishing quality objectives.
3. Map your processes: Create a process map or process list showing how your key business processes interact. Include customer-facing processes, support processes, and management processes. Process mapping helps identify gaps and redundancies in your current quality controls.
4. Assign roles and responsibilities: Identify the Quality Manager, Management Representative, and process owners for each section of the manual. Document the authority and responsibility of each role. Clear role definition prevents gaps in quality oversight.
5. Review regulatory requirements: Identify all applicable airworthiness regulations, customer requirements, and statutory requirements. Document these references in Section 2 of the manual. For US-based organizations, this includes FAA Part 145 regulations. For European organizations, EASA Part-145 applies.
6. Complete each manual section: Work through the eight sections of the AS9110 template, adding your organization-specific policies, procedures, and references. Cross-reference your quality procedures and work instructions where appropriate.
7. Conduct an internal review: Have senior management, the quality team, and process owners review the completed manual. Check that the policies described in the manual are actually implemented in daily operations.
8. Prepare supporting documentation: Ensure all procedures, work instructions, and forms referenced in the manual are documented, controlled, and available to relevant personnel. The certification auditor will verify that the QMS documentation matches what is described in the manual.

Who Needs an AS9110 Quality Management System?

The AS9110 standard applies to any organization providing maintenance, repair, or overhaul services for aerospace products. Common types of organizations that pursue AS9110 certification include commercial aircraft line maintenance stations, heavy maintenance facilities, aircraft component repair and overhaul shops, avionics and instrument repair shops, aircraft structural repair organizations, and ground support equipment maintenance teams.

Airlines often require their approved maintenance suppliers to hold AS9110 certification as a condition of vendor approval. Military aviation authorities in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and other NATO countries recognize AS9110 as evidence of quality management capability. The US Air Force, Navy, and Army each have quality management requirements that align with or reference the AS9100-series standards.

Organizations pursuing AS9110 certification for the first time should expect the process to take 6 to 18 months, depending on the size of the organization and the maturity of existing quality processes. The certification body conducts a Stage 1 documentation review followed by a Stage 2 on-site audit to verify that the QMS is fully implemented and effective.

What Are the Benefits of Implementing AS9110?

Implementing the AS9110 Quality Management System delivers both compliance benefits and operational improvements. Organizations consistently report measurable improvements in process consistency, defect reduction, and customer satisfaction after fully implementing the standard.

Key operational benefits include reduced maintenance rework and escapes through better process controls, improved traceability of parts, tools, and maintenance records, stronger supplier qualification and monitoring, faster response to nonconformances through defined corrective action processes, and more consistent technical data management. Organizations also gain a competitive advantage when bidding for MRO contracts with airlines, OEMs, or government agencies that require AS9110 certification from their approved suppliers.

From a regulatory perspective, AS9110 certification can simplify interactions with civil aviation authorities. Some national aviation authorities accept AS9110 certification as evidence of compliance with specific sections of their airworthiness regulations, reducing the burden of individual regulatory audits. The standard's alignment with ISO 9001 also means that AS9110-certified organizations have a strong foundation for pursuing other management system certifications.

How Does the AS9110 Certification Audit Process Work?

The AS9110C certification process follows a structured two-stage approach conducted by an accredited Certification Body (CB) listed in the IAQG Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS). Organizations use the OASIS database to identify approved CBs and verify certification status after the audit is complete.

Choose a CB with auditors who have direct aviation maintenance experience. AS9110 auditors need familiarity with airworthiness regulations, return-to-service processes, and the oversight requirements of civil aviation authorities such as the FAA and EASA. Request auditor CVs before signing a certification agreement. Ask whether the proposed lead auditor has audited organizations with your specific maintenance scope — line maintenance, heavy maintenance, component overhaul, or avionics repair. The right CB match reduces unnecessary findings caused by mismatches between auditor background and your operations.

The Stage 1 audit is a desk review of your quality management system documentation. The CB auditor reviews your quality manual, scope statement, quality policy, and all documented procedures. The auditor maps the documentation against each clause of AS9110C and identifies gaps. Stage 1 runs one to two days for a small MRO organization. The output is a Stage 1 report listing gaps that must be resolved before the on-site Stage 2 audit. Address every Stage 1 finding before scheduling Stage 2. A common Stage 1 issue is that the manual describes processes in general terms without linking them to specific operational activities or forms.

The Stage 2 audit verifies that the QMS described in the documentation is fully implemented. Auditors interview managers, quality personnel, and maintenance technicians. They observe live maintenance work, review completed job cards, and examine quality records for traceability. Personnel qualification records receive close attention. Every technician performing regulated maintenance must hold current authorizations, and training record certificates must be on file, current, and organized in the controlled document system. Auditors also verify that monitoring and measuring equipment is calibrated on schedule, that calibration records are current, and that out-of-tolerance findings have been handled correctly.

The audit team applies a risk-based approach to select which processes to examine in depth. High-risk activities such as fuel system work, engine testing, structural repair, and avionics modification receive priority audit time. Maintaining a current risk assessment form for your key maintenance operations shows auditors that the QMS actively identifies and controls process risk rather than reacting after incidents occur.

Audit findings are classified as major nonconformances, minor nonconformances, or observations. A major nonconformance prevents certification and must be corrected with evidence before the certificate is issued. Minor nonconformances must be corrected within 90 days. Observations are improvement suggestions with no formal response required. After Stage 2, the CB issues the AS9110C certificate for a three-year period. Annual surveillance audits confirm the QMS remains effective during the cycle. Begin preparing for recertification at least six months before the certificate expiry date to avoid any gap in certification status.

What Are Common Nonconformances in AS9110 Audits?

Understanding the most frequent audit findings helps organizations strengthen their QMS before the certification audit. These categories represent the nonconformances AS9110 auditors report most consistently across MRO facilities of all sizes.

Return-to-Service Documentation Gaps. AS9110 Section 7 requires complete return-to-service records for all maintenance performed. Auditors regularly find that completed work orders lack required airworthiness release signatures, that the technical data used during maintenance cannot be traced in the record, or that approval documentation from a qualified certifying staff member is missing. Use a standardized additional work authorization form to document any maintenance discovered beyond the original scope during a job. Linking additional work to the primary work order prevents the traceability gaps auditors cite most often in Section 7.

Training and Authorization Record Deficiencies. Incomplete training records are among the top findings in every AS9110 audit cycle. Organizations must show that all maintenance personnel hold current regulatory authorizations and that training records are controlled, current, and complete. Common failures include expired authorizations not renewed on time, training completed but not entered into the document management system, and qualification records that exist only in personal files outside the QMS. Organizations that handle hazardous materials face additional scrutiny — each employee working with regulated substances needs a current hazmat employee training record that shows the training date, content covered, and the trainer's name. Use consistent forms for all competency training so auditors can verify training currency quickly and completely.

Internal Audit Program Weaknesses. AS9110 Section 8 requires a scheduled internal audit program with documented findings and tracked corrective actions. Auditors look for evidence that audits were completed on time and that every finding generated a corrective action tracked to closure. Organizations that cancel audits before the certification date, skip entire process areas, or produce internal audit reports with zero nonconformances raise credibility concerns. Use an OSHA workplace inspection checklist as a practical pre-audit tool to identify housekeeping, tooling, or safety issues before they appear as certification audit findings.

Corrective Action Root Cause Failures. Corrective action records are frequently cited for insufficient root cause analysis. Writing a corrective action that retrains a technician without examining whether the underlying procedure, tool availability, or supervisory controls caused the problem does not satisfy AS9110 Section 8. Use structured methods such as 5-Why or cause-and-effect analysis. Document the root cause clearly and explain how the corrective action targets that cause rather than just the symptom.

Supplier Control Gaps. AS9110 requires evaluation and ongoing monitoring of all suppliers whose products and services affect airworthiness. Common findings include approved supplier lists not reviewed within the required period, incomplete supplier qualification records, and components entering the repair process from unapproved sources. Review your approved supplier list at least annually and document the basis for each supplier's approval status.

Preparing for an AS9110 audit means reviewing all eight sections of the quality manual against actual operations, verifying that every record the standard requires exists in controlled form, and testing the corrective action process by initiating a self-found nonconformance. Organizations that identify and close their own findings before the certification audit demonstrate the quality culture AS9110 is designed to build.

What Is the Timeline for AS9110 Certification?

The time required to achieve AS9110C certification depends on the size of the organization, the scope of maintenance activities, and the maturity of existing quality processes. First-time certification typically takes 6 to 18 months from project start to certificate issuance.

Phase 1 — QMS Documentation (4 to 8 weeks). Organizations with no existing QMS spend 6 to 8 weeks developing the quality manual, procedures, work instructions, and forms required by AS9110. Organizations with an existing ISO 9001 or AS9100 QMS can complete this phase in 4 to 6 weeks by adapting existing documentation to meet aviation maintenance-specific requirements.

Phase 2 — QMS Implementation (4 to 12 weeks). After documentation is complete, the QMS must be deployed across the organization. This means training all employees, activating the document control system, running the internal audit program, and processing the corrective action system on real findings. Certification bodies expect evidence that the QMS has been in operation for a meaningful period before the Stage 2 audit. Three to six months of operating records is a typical expectation. During implementation, every maintenance task should generate a controlled task record form that documents what work was performed, by whom, against which technical data, and with what result. These records become the primary audit evidence for AS9110 Section 7 compliance. Organizations that start implementation before the documentation is fully finalized can compress this phase if all procedures in active use are approved and controlled.

Phase 3 — Stage 1 Audit and Gap Closure (3 to 6 weeks). Scheduling the Stage 1 desk review typically takes 2 to 4 weeks after the organization declares readiness. The audit runs one to two days. Gap closure after Stage 1 takes one to four additional weeks, depending on the number and complexity of gaps identified in the quality manual review.

Phase 4 — Stage 2 Audit and Certificate Issuance (4 to 8 weeks). Stage 2 scheduling takes 2 to 4 weeks after Stage 1 gap closure. The on-site audit runs 2 to 5 days depending on the size and complexity of the operation. After Stage 2, the certification body reviews findings and issues the certificate, a process that typically takes 2 to 4 weeks for organizations with only minor nonconformances to close.

Organizations that appoint a dedicated QMS Manager and allocate consistent resources to documentation and implementation complete certification faster than those treating AS9110 as a background task. For organizations seeking to shorten the timeline, running documentation development and implementation activities in parallel — training employees and activating procedures while the manual is still being refined — can reduce total time by 4 to 6 weeks. Align the implementation schedule carefully with the planned audit date to avoid the risk of presenting a QMS that has been running for fewer months than the certification body expects.

Organizations that already hold Part 145 approval from the FAA, EASA, or another national aviation authority have an advantage in the certification process. The quality system infrastructure required by AS9110 — competency tracking, work order controls, maintenance record formats, and configuration management — is largely already in place within a compliant Part 145 organization. These organizations typically complete the documentation phase in 3 to 5 weeks and achieve full AS9110 certification within 9 to 12 months rather than 18. For organizations without an existing Part 145 framework, conducting a structured gap analysis before starting documentation identifies which processes need to be built from scratch versus which need only minor adaptation. A job safety analysis form for each critical maintenance process is a practical starting point — it forces process owners to define the steps, the risks, the controls, and the responsible personnel, which are exactly the inputs needed to write a compliant work instruction for the AS9110 manual.

Related Quality Management and Compliance Forms

Organizations implementing an AS9110 quality management system need supporting documentation alongside the quality manual. Use these forms to manage maintenance records, audits, corrective actions, and quality control processes that the AS9110 standard requires.

• Maintenance Log Requirements Form – Track and document all maintenance activities, schedules, and completion records required by your QMS procedures.
• Corrective Action Plan Form – Document and resolve nonconformances identified during quality audits, customer complaints, or operational escapes.
• Annual Audit Format – Structure your internal AS9110 QMS audits using a consistent annual audit format that meets AS9110 Section 8 requirements.
• 4-Point Inspection Form – Conduct systematic quality control inspections as part of your AS9110 product realization controls in Section 7.
• Equipment Quality Control Form – Monitor and record quality control data for critical maintenance equipment as required by AS9110 Section 6.