AS9110

AS9110
Name	AS9110
Issued by	SAE International
First published	2006
Latest revision	2016
Related	AS9100, AS9120, ISO 9001
Sector	Aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul

AS9110

AS9110 is an aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) quality management standard tailored for organizations that perform maintenance, repair, and overhaul activities for aerospace products and systems. It integrates requirements from ISO 9001 with additional expectations derived from industry stakeholders such as SAE International, Federal Aviation Administration, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Civil Aviation Administration of China, and major original equipment manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier Aerospace, and Rolls-Royce plc. The standard is commonly applied across suppliers, line maintenance providers, and dedicated MRO facilities supporting programs such as Boeing 737 family, Airbus A320 family, Embraer E-Jets, and rotorcraft like Bell Helicopter series.

Overview

AS9110 was developed by SAE International in cooperation with aerospace authorities including the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to address unique MRO concerns not fully covered by ISO 9001 alone. The standard codifies practices used by entities supporting platforms such as Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, General Electric Aviation engines, and avionics suppliers like Honeywell International Inc. and Collins Aerospace. It emphasizes airworthiness, traceability, reliability, and safe return-to-service practices relevant to programs from Pratt & Whitney to Safran S.A. and maintenance organizations serving operators such as Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Lufthansa, and Qantas.

Scope and Requirements

AS9110's scope targets organizations performing maintenance, repair, overhaul, inspection, and installation on civil and military aerospace products used in fleets operated by companies like American Airlines Group, Air France–KLM, and defense services such as the United States Air Force and Royal Air Force. Requirements augment ISO 9001 with clauses addressing continuing airworthiness, configuration control for platform families (e.g., Boeing 777, Airbus A350), maintenance planning aligned with OEM documents from Pratt & Whitney Canada and GE Aviation, and mandatory record retention practices favored by regulators like the Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom). The standard also requires processes for managing service bulletins from manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, and Honeywell, and for responding to airworthiness directives issued by authorities including the European Aviation Safety Agency and Transport Canada.

Quality Management System Elements

Key QMS elements in AS9110 encompass document control, configuration management, nonconforming product handling, corrective/preventive action, and competence assurance for personnel trained on systems from Rockwell Collins, Garmin, and Thales Group. It mandates traceability for components sourced from distribution networks like Aviation Suppliers Association members and authorized distributors for OEMs such as Safran and Rolls-Royce. Supplier evaluation and control provisions reference practices used with suppliers to Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Airbus SAS programs, and maintenance data management requirements align with publications from Federal Aviation Regulations authorities, or organizational procedures used by carriers such as British Airways and Emirates. AS9110 emphasizes training and qualification records for technicians certified under schemes resembling those of European Aviation Safety Agency licensing and national authorities like the Federal Aviation Administration.

Implementation and Certification Process

Organizations implement AS9110 by establishing a QMS that satisfies both ISO 9001 foundations and aerospace-specific clauses; typical steps mirror certification experiences of MRO providers for fleets like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A330. Certification bodies accredited by entities such as International Accreditation Forum members audit against AS9110, applying practices comparable to those used in assessments of suppliers to Northrop Grumman Corporation and BAE Systems. The process includes gap analysis, documentation, internal audits, management review, corrective action, and surveillance audits—similar to certification workflows followed by companies like MTU Aero Engines and ST Aerospace. Certificate maintenance often requires liaison with aviation authorities, OEM representatives, and major lessors such as GE Aviation Capital and AerCap.

Relationship to Other Standards

AS9110 is part of the AS91xx family alongside AS9100 for design and production organizations and AS9120 for aerospace distributors, while maintaining direct lineage to ISO 9001. It complements regulatory requirements from agencies like Federal Aviation Administration and European Union Aviation Safety Agency and aligns with safety management frameworks such as ICAO guidance and practices used in conformity assessments like those of Nadcap. Integration with environmental and occupational standards—e.g., ISO 14001 and ISO 45001—is common among large MRO groups including SR Technics and Lufthansa Technik.

Industry Impact and Use Cases

AS9110 has influenced quality practices at MRO providers servicing fleets of Delta Air Lines, Qatar Airways, military customers including United States Navy aviation squadrons, and component repair organizations working on engines from Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce plc. Use cases include line maintenance stations, base maintenance hangars, component overhaul shops, and repair depots supporting programs such as C-130 Hercules, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and commercial types like Boeing 737 MAX. The standard helps operators, lessors such as Avolon, and OEMs ensure predictable maintenance outcomes, reduce unplanned removals, and maintain compliance with airworthiness directives issued by organizations like Transport Canada and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Australia).

Category:Aerospace standards