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by Christian Reyes on June 30, 2026
As the aerospace industry awaits the final release of IA9100, many organizations are wondering how much is really changing. According to veteran aerospace auditor and consultant, Mike Varney, the answer will likely reside in the details. In other words, the biggest shift will not necessarily be changes to what organizations will be required to do, but how effectively they will need to prove they are doing it.
In the latest episode of the QT9 Q-Cast podcast, Varney joins QT9 to discuss the latest developments surrounding the transition from AS9100 to IA9100, including emerging expectations around audit evidence, quality culture, leadership accountability, information security and process validation.
Contents
Common misconceptions about the AS9100 to IA9100 transition
How IA9100 could change aerospace audits
Three expected IA9100 changes aerospace companies should watch
How will ISO 9001:2026 affect IA9100 compliance?
Leadership's expanding role in aerospace audits
Why information security is an aerospace quality requirement
Common misconceptions about the AS9100 to IA9100 transition
Any time there is regulatory change on the horizon, compliance teams’ gut reactions are to prepare for the worst. Varney stresses that businesses should resist the urge to rebuild their quality management systems from scratch.
Many aerospace manufacturers already have procedures, policies and documented processes in place under AS9100. Based on expected changes, the challenge will be demonstrating that those processes are actively working, consistently followed and producing measurable results.
“The actual requirements within the body, at least to the best of our knowledge as of today, have not changed all that dramatically,” said Varney of the AS9100 changes. “What's expected of companies now in the aerospace industry is to have defensible, objective evidence to prove that they're doing those things.”
For quality leaders, the conversation shifts from: Do we have a procedure? Did employees sign off on policies? To:
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Can we prove the process is effective?
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Can we demonstrate how risk is being managed?
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Can leadership show how quality decisions are made?
How IA9100 could change aerospace audits
Stronger evidence for quality culture
Historically, aerospace manufacturers have prepared to demonstrate regulatory compliance through the maintenance and presentation of documented procedures and employee acknowledgements.
Varney expects that standard to evolve. “We can't just say, we have a policy in place. We trained our employees at the time of onboarding. That, I don't think, is going to fly anymore,” he said.
Instead, auditors are likely to look for tangible evidence that quality culture, ethics and organizational values are actively influencing day-to-day operations and decisions.
Using performance data to drive decisions
Aerospace organizations have long tracked KPIs and quality objectives. Varney noted that aerospace auditors may increasingly look for evidence that KPI data is being used to manage risk, guide improvements and influence strategic decisions rather than simply being reviewed during audits.
“I think what we're expecting to see now is not only that we're tracking information and we have good data,” he said. But also “What are we learning from the information that we're gathering? And how is that impacting decisions that we're making?”
For aerospace organizations, that means KPIs and quality objectives may become more than audit artifacts. They may become proof that risk-based thinking is driving business decisions.
Three expected IA9100 changes aerospace companies should watch
Varney highlighted three areas where aerospace organizations are likely to feel the IA9100 transition most.
1. Production process validation
Historically, production process validation was considered equivalent to First Article Inspection (FAI), and the AS9100 Rev D standard even referred to it as such. IA9100 is expected to require more defensible proof than FAI that process methodology is working as intended.
“This one really intimidates people,” noted Varney. “I think that’s something that people are going to struggle with a bit, not because it’s hard, not because people can’t do it, but because it’s a little bit vague.”
The challenge will be demonstrating that the production process, not just a single part, is capable of consistently producing conforming product.
2. Culture and ethics
IA9100 is also expected to require aerospace companies to demonstrate a culture that supports ethical behavior. As Varney noted, this change may be harder for organizations to navigate in the beginning, as evidence can be subjective.
“We need to actually see some tangible evidence there about how employees are going to handle things if they find something in the workplace that violates a culture and ethical requirement,” explained Varney.
Auditors may soon expect more concrete evidence that employees understand and feel comfortable acting on culture and ethics policies. Organizations may need to demonstrate, not only that employees understand ethical expectations, but also how concerns are reported, escalated, investigated and resolved.
3. Counterfeit part prevention
Varney also pointed to evolving counterfeit part prevention requirements as an area that may require additional attention, particularly for suppliers outside major OEM programs.
While the specifics may vary by supply chain, organizations should expect increased scrutiny around how counterfeit risks are identified, prevented and controlled.
How will ISO 9001:2026 affect IA9100 compliance?
Another source of confusion across the aerospace industry is the relationship between IA9100 and the upcoming revision of ISO 9001, and whether companies should prepare separate transition plans.
AS9100 has historically incorporated ISO 9001 requirements into its standard. Based on current industry direction, Varney believes IA9100 will follow the same model.
“We will likely see ISO 9001 at the tail end of this year, and then we will likely see the aerospace standard follow,” said Varney. “I don't think there's any reason that you should have two transition plans. I would expect the IA9100 to have all that stuff built in.”
For aerospace manufacturers, ISO 9001: 2026 should be viewed less as a separate compliance initiative and more as a foundational aspect of IA9100.
Leadership's expanding role in aerospace audits
One of the more significant shifts discussed in the podcast involves new avenues for aerospace leadership accountability.
As quality culture and ethics receive greater emphasis, auditors may look beyond quality managers and management representatives to evaluate leadership engagement.
“I expect that leadership is probably going to be pulled more into audit environments than they may have been in the past,” said Varney.
Future audit conversations may focus on questions such as:
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How does leadership reinforce quality culture?
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How are ethical concerns escalated and addressed?
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What actions are taken when issues are identified?
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How are quality objectives influencing business decisions?
As Varney noted, auditors may be less interested in whether policies exist and more interested in how leaders actively support them.
Information security is a growing aerospace quality requirement
Another emerging topic aerospace leaders must consider is information security. As quality records, traceability data, customer requirements and similar data move deeper into digital platforms, information security becomes more of a quality management issue.
“We've transitioned pretty dramatically over the last 10 to 15 years to digital document control,” Varney explained. “They felt it necessary to embed some language in the new standard that pertains to the security of your documentation.”
He also noted, however, that “a lot of what we're already doing has features that just need to be taken advantage of.”
Practical information security controls for aerospace suppliers
Organizations should focus on practical controls that already exist within many business systems:
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Multi-factor authentication
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Role-based access controls
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Backup and recovery processes
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Secure remote access
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Protection of customer and supplier data
The key takeaway is that information security should no longer be viewed solely as an IT responsibility.
Preparing for IA9100 now
The good news is that aerospace organizations are unlikely to need a quality system overhaul under the new IA9100. However, they will need more robust evidence that their existing systems are effective.
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Cultural and ethical policy supports must be in place with evidence that they work.
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Leadership must be engaged in quality and risk management actions.
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Risk-based decisions based on quality metrics must be visible.
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Information security must be addressed.
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Audit evidence must go beyond simply showing that a procedure exists.
For aerospace manufacturers, now is the time to evaluate whether current processes produce the objective evidence auditors are increasingly expected to seek.
Watch the full conversation
In this QT9 Q-Cast episode, Mike Varney shares additional insights on anticipated IA9100 changes, audit preparation strategies and what aerospace manufacturers should be doing now to prepare for the future of compliance.
Watch the full episode to hear the complete conversation and stay informed as IA9100 continues to develop, and contact QT9 for information on how our products can support aerospace compliance.
IA9100 Outlook: Current Expectations for the AS9100 Transition
