Aviation & Aerospace

World’s aerospace industry has grown exponentially with the rise of global air travel and the accompanying technological advancements. It accounts for about a quarter of Europe & Asia’s MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) output.

World’s aerospace industry is tightly regulated. Any failure to comply with standards could result in significant repercussions, ranging from fines to suspension of business licenses. Conformity assessment thus plays a key role in ensuring the safety, quality, and performance of aircraft and aviation components. Accreditation by the International Directorate of Accreditation (IDA) helps to increase confidence in the quality of testing, inspection and certification services provided by the Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs).

Within Wprld, major aerospace companies include metal-related parts manufacturers as well as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) service providers. MRO work is dependent on qualified key personnel. As such, personnel certification is a vital conformity assessment service for businesses in the industry. Equipment and instruments, which may be used in order to carry out MRO work, can also be tested and accredited to ensure their functionality.

IDA also provides an accreditation scheme for validation and verification bodies for the reduction and removal of greenhouse gases. This accreditation scheme is developed in response to the increasing demand for sustainability, and to support the aviation industry for the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) initiated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

For manufacturers of aerospace parts or components, examples of relevant certification include certification for quality management systems, occupational safety, and health management. Aside from general ISO standards, aviation components suppliers must be AS 9100 certified.

(AS 9100 is a quality management system standard laid out specifically for the aerospace industry, based on ISO 9001)

Other conformity assessment services relevant to components manufacturers include environmental testing, tests for outdoor durability, and tests for resistance to corrosion and weathering. Component makers often also require non-destructive testing, inspection and calibration.

The Civil Aviation Authority of any country (CAA) is the regulatory body governing the aerospace industry in, and it lays out specific requirements with regard to conformity assessment.

The following IDA accreditation schemes are applicable to the Aviation and Aerospace industry: