TS EN 9104

TS EN 9104 addresses the rules for certification and registration programmes used for aerospace quality management systems. Rather than defining product characteristics, it focuses on the framework behind the assessment of a quality management system: how certification activities are organised, how consistency is maintained, and how the registration process is made reliable across the aerospace supply chain. In practical terms, this kind of standard supports a common approach to evaluating quality systems in a highly controlled, multi-tier industry.

Why certification programmes matter in aerospace

In aerospace, quality management is not only about what a company produces, but also about how its management system is reviewed and recognised by others. Certification and registration programmes are the mechanisms that help make external assessments comparable, traceable and repeatable. From a general technical perspective, they provide structure for auditor competence, programme governance, records, and consistent application of assessment rules. The title of TS EN 9104 places it squarely in this system-level domain.

Technical context and terminology

• A quality management system is the set of processes an organisation uses to direct, control and improve quality-related activities.
• A certification or registration programme is the organised framework for external evaluation and recognition of that system.
• In aerospace, these programmes are especially important because suppliers, customers and oversight bodies often need a shared basis for confidence.
• TS EN 9104 is concerned with the certification infrastructure, not with defining the technical requirements of aerospace products themselves.