AS9145, Requirements for Advanced Product Quality Planning and Production Part Approval Process, gives aerospace and defence manufacturers a structured framework for planning quality into products and proving that production processes are capable before full-rate production begins. Published by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) through SAE, it adapts the proven automotive APQP and PPAP disciplines to the longer lifecycles, tighter regulation and higher consequences of failure found in aerospace.

This article explains what AS9145 requires, why the industry needed it, how the five phases work and what aerospace PPAP actually involves.

What is AS9145?

AS9145 defines how aerospace organisations should plan, develop, validate and control new products and the manufacturing processes that make them. It sits alongside AS9100 and is increasingly flowed down by aerospace primes as a contractual requirement on their supply chains.

The standard is designed to improve:

  • Product quality and manufacturing consistency.
  • Risk management across design and production.
  • Supplier performance and supply chain control.
  • Process validation and product traceability.
  • Customer satisfaction and regulatory compliance.

Where aerospace APQP came from

Advanced Product Quality Planning originated in the automotive industry in the 1980s, when Ford, General Motors and Chrysler introduced it to improve quality, reduce production risk and strengthen customer confidence. The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) later formalised APQP and PPAP into the industry framework that underpins IATF 16949 today.

APQP delivered strong results in automotive, and the aerospace sector recognised the value of a similar approach. Aerospace, however, faces challenges that automotive does not, so rather than adopt the automotive manuals directly, the IAQG developed AS9145 to address the additional complexity of aerospace manufacturing.

Why aerospace needed its own standard

Aerospace operates in a highly regulated, safety-critical environment with longer product lifecycles, lower volumes, stricter regulatory oversight and greater engineering complexity. Aerospace organisations needed a framework that would support:

  • Aerospace-specific risk management.
  • Product traceability and configuration management.
  • Supplier quality assurance across multiple tiers.
  • Process validation suited to low-volume, high-value production.
  • Lifecycle quality management over decades of in-service support.

How AS9145 supports aerospace manufacturing

Aerospace-specific APQP requirements

AS9145 adapts traditional APQP principles for aerospace, with greater focus on risk management, product safety, design validation, supplier controls, process capability, manufacturing repeatability and configuration control. The result is stronger quality control throughout development and production.

PPAP requirements within AS9145

The Production Part Approval Process is a core part of AS9145. PPAP provides objective evidence that a production process, run under real production conditions, can consistently produce conforming parts. A typical aerospace PPAP submission draws together evidence such as:

  • Design records and characteristics, including key and critical characteristics.
  • Design and process FMEAs.
  • Process flow diagram and control plan.
  • Measurement system analysis.
  • Process capability studies for key characteristics.
  • A First Article Inspection report in line with AS9102.
  • The customer’s PPAP approval.

Done properly, PPAP reduces defects and builds confidence before full production begins, rather than discovering process weaknesses on delivered hardware.

Risk management

Risk management runs through the whole of AS9145. Organisations are expected to identify and mitigate risks throughout product design, process development and production, using tools such as DFMEA and PFMEA. The aim is to prevent defects, reduce operational disruption, improve safety performance and reduce nonconformities, replacing reactive problem-solving with proactive quality management.

The five phases of AS9145

AS9145 follows the familiar five-phase APQP structure, strengthened with aerospace-specific controls.

1. Planning

Define customer, operational and regulatory requirements. Key activities include capturing customer expectations, identifying regulatory requirements, assessing project risks, establishing timelines and defining resource requirements. Strong planning improves project control and reduces development risk from the outset.

2. Product design and development

Create product designs that meet all specified requirements, through design reviews, material selection, engineering validation, Design FMEA and product verification testing. Because aerospace products operate in demanding environments, design validation is critical to reliability and safety.

3. Process design and development

Develop controlled manufacturing processes that consistently achieve specification requirements. Activities include process flow development, Process FMEA, control plan creation, inspection planning and equipment validation.

4. Product and process validation

Confirm that both the product and the manufacturing process consistently meet requirements, through prototype testing, pilot production runs, process capability analysis, PPAP and First Article Inspection. Validation identifies issues before full production begins.

5. Ongoing production, feedback and continuous improvement

Maintain production control and drive improvement by monitoring production performance, customer feedback, supplier quality, corrective actions, process capability and nonconformities over the life of the product.

The benefits of AS9145

Improved product quality. Structured planning and validation improve consistency and reduce defects.

Reduced operational risk. Risk controls applied early prevent failures and reduce disruption.

Greater customer confidence. Customers expect aerospace suppliers to maintain robust quality systems, and AS9145 provides the evidence.

Improved manufacturing efficiency. Standardised quality planning reduces waste, rework and late design changes.

Stronger supply chain management. AS9145 improves supplier oversight, traceability and process validation across the supply chain. See our article on supply chain quality in AS9100 for more.

Frequently asked questions

What is AS9145?

AS9145 is the aerospace standard that defines requirements for Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) in aerospace and defence manufacturing.

Does AS9145 include PPAP?

Yes. AS9145 incorporates PPAP requirements to verify that manufacturing processes can consistently produce conforming aerospace parts, including First Article Inspection to AS9102.

Who developed AS9145?

AS9145 was developed by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) to standardise APQP and PPAP across the aerospace industry.

Is AS9145 mandatory?

AS9145 is not certified in its own right, but many aerospace primes now flow it down contractually to their suppliers, and AS9100 auditors will look for evidence that customer APQP and PPAP requirements are being met.

How Hillscom can help

Hillscom supports aerospace and defence organisations with AS9145 implementation, APQP development, PPAP support and AS9100 quality management. Our experience includes hands-on APQP and PPAP in tier one automotive supply and building AS9100D certification from the ground up, so we know both where these disciplines came from and how to make them work in aerospace.

Find out more on our AS9145 page, or get in touch to discuss your requirements.