AS9100 certification in China

AS9100 certification in China at a glance

Prime contractors in aviation rarely qualify a supplier on ISO 9001 alone. AS9100, published in Europe as EN 9100, adds the aerospace layer: product safety, configuration management, first article inspection, counterfeit-part prevention, special-process control and on-time delivery measurement. For Chinese machining, composites and electronics suppliers, the certificate is usually what opens export programmes with international aircraft and engine makers, and civil aviation is a key sector in the State Council plan for the Lingang Special Area in Shanghai. Certification comes from a body working within the International Aerospace Quality Group's scheme, with results listed in its OASIS database, and in China the body must also hold CNCA approval to certify. National aviation industry texts such as HB 9100 also exist; check which one each customer specifies before planning the system. Sterling's Shanghai office builds AS9100 onto the existing quality system, trains staff in aerospace requirements and prepares sites for the stage 1 and stage 2 audits, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included in the engagement.

Who needs AS9100 in China, and what happens without it

In China the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Suppliers of parts and processes to aircraft and engine manufacturersAerospace primes and their tiers commonly require AS9100 (EN 9100) certification of suppliers.
• Civil aviation supply-chain companies in the Lingang Special AreaCivil aviation is one of the area's key sectors.
• Precision machining, composites and special-process shops exporting to aerospace customersInternational aerospace customers check supplier certification in the IAQG OASIS database.

AS9100 requirements in China

Strip away the vocabulary and AS9100 asks a supplier to prove six things about delivering aerospace products safely and on time.

In China these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: AS9100 explained →

How to get AS9100 certified in China

One team from the Shanghai office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Delivery from the Shanghai office, on-site across mainland China as the scope requires; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against AS9100 and the Chinese requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

How long does AS9100 certification take in China?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In China these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Number of sites and special processes in scope
• Customer flow-down requirements (first article inspection, configuration management, counterfeit-part prevention)
• Evidence of product safety and on-time delivery measurement
• Certification body availability of aerospace-qualified auditors

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does AS9100 certification cost in China?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In China these factors move both.

• Number of sites, special processes and headcount
• Customer-specific aerospace requirements to integrate
• Certification body audit fees, quoted separately from consulting
• Training in aerospace requirements for quality and production staff

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

AS9100 consultants and certification bodies in China

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers AS9100 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in China are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

AS9100 in China: questions clients ask

More on AS9100 for Chinese organisations

• AS9100: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement AS9100
• Sterling in Shanghai
• AS9100 certification in China and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Chinese businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in China often combine AS9100 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in China →