System Certification

AS6081A - Counterfeit Aerospace Parts Prevention

Protect aircraft from counterfeit electronic parts to help ensure aircraft safety.

Counterfeit electronic parts present a significant and growing risk to the safety, reliability, and performance of civil and defence aircraft

That’s why AS6081A was developed and is increasingly being used by suppliers of electronic parts to the aerospace industry.

AS6081A provides a structured, internationally recognised framework to help you prevent, detect, and eliminate counterfeit electronic components from your supply chain.

It states clear requirements for sourcing, inspection, testing, traceability, and reporting. This helps you meet customer specifications and to only supply authorized parts.

Building on established aerospace quality management systems, AS6081A strengthens your approach to supply chain risk management, meet customer specifications, and support flight safety.

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Our training and certification services can help you take control of avoiding, detecting, and removing counterfeit products from your supply chain.

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AS6081A certification

Get certified to AS6081A to systematically detect and eliminate counterfeit parts from your supply chain.

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Provide safe and reliable aerospace products with AS6081A certification

Independent certification of your aerospace quality management system is recognized globally.

Ensure you only source and supply authorized and known good parts.
Demonstrate conformity with safety and performance critical product specifications.
Detect and prevent counterfeit parts entering your supply chain.
Enhance customer confidence and access global aerospace markets with independent certification.
Improve the traceability of electronic aerospace components

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Find out more about AS6081A and how we can support you.

AS6081A, developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), is a globally recognized aerospace quality standard designed to help you prevent, detect, and control counterfeit electronic parts across the aviation supply chain.

It establishes strict requirements for sourcing, inspection, testing, traceability, and reporting to protect aircraft products and ensure safety.

AS6081A builds upon existing aerospace quality systems including AS9100, AS9110, and AS9120, enabling you to strengthen conformity, meet International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) expectations, and demonstrate robust supply chain risk management.[
AS6081A is designed for independent distributors who source and supply electronic parts in the open market. It helps you manage counterfeit risk across the aerospace, defence, and aviation supply chain.

It applies to distributors of electrical, electronic, and electromechanical products, including excess or returned parts. It doesn’t apply to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or authorized distributors that source parts directly from manufacturers.

You can adopt AS6081A to meet SAE and IAQG expectations, and flow robust quality and counterfeit controls throughout your supply chain to protect aircraft safety.
AS6081A applies to electrical, electronic, and electromechanical parts used across the aerospace and aviation supply chain.

It helps you ensure the authenticity, quality, and traceability of these critical products, particularly when sourced through the open market.
AS6081A and AS9120 both support aerospace quality but serve different purposes in your supply chain. AS9120, aligned with IAQG, is a quality management system standard for aviation distributors, covering overall processes for handling aircraft parts and products. AS6081A, developed by SAE, is a specialized standard focused specifically on preventing and managing counterfeit electronic parts in open market sourcing.

Together, they help you strengthen quality, reduce risk, and protect aviation safety.
To achieve AS6081A certification, you must already have a certified quality management system such as ISO 9001, AS9100, AS9110, or AS9120.
You also need to demonstrate that your AS6081A processes have been implemented for at least three months, including a full cycle of internal audits and management review.

This ensures you’ve got a strong aerospace quality foundation to manage the risk of counterfeit parts effectively, protecting aircraft parts and your aviation supply chain.
AS6081A certification includes three key steps:

Submit a quote request form. We’ll then prepare a proposal for certification including the proposed scope and time for the initial audit.

BSI will then contact you to book the initial audit. You’ll undergo a two-stage audit as part of an integrated AS9100, AS9110, or AS9120 Aerospace quality audit. After successfully closing any findings, BSI completes an independent technical review and issues your certificate.

Your AS6081A certificate is valid for three years, supported by surveillance audits in year one and two and a recertification audit in year three.

The assurance provided through the certification process helps you maintain strong counterfeit controls with confidence.
To achieve AS6081A certification, you must demonstrate conformity against audit criteria based on SAE requirements in AS6301, verified through a detailed audit process.

You’ll need to show effective implementation of a counterfeit parts control plan, including:

supply chain risk management,

supplier approval,

traceability,

inspection,

testing,

and reporting.

Your Aerospace Quality system, aligned with AS9100, AS9110, or AS9120 and IAQG expectations, must consistently ensure the authenticity of aircraft parts and products and prevent counterfeit risks across your aviation supply chain.
BSI certifies to the latest edition of the AS6081A standard, released in 2023. This version and its requirements supersede the requirements of the 2012 version.
The 2023 update built on the original 2012 version to address evolving industry challenges and improve counterfeit prevention practices.

The update aimed to:

Strengthen supply chain integrity

Improve counterfeit detection methods

Increase flexibility in testing and conformity

Enhance reporting and traceability

Clarify requirements to reduce confusion

Enhancing the industry’s ability to detect and avoid counterfeit parts, improve traceability and accountability, and strengthen risk management. Ensuring safer and more reliable aerospace systems.
Yes, you can. Transferring your AS6081A certification to BSI is simple and usually completed remotely within 30 days through a structured, low risk process:

Onboarding: You confirm the scope, provide audit reports, and agree a transfer plan

Pre-transfer review: BSI validates your existing certificates and audit history

Certification decision: An independent technical review confirms conformity

Certificate issue: Your AS6081A certificate is transferred and issued by BSI

Ongoing programme: You enter a 3 year audit cycle aligned with AS9100, AS9110, or AS9120

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To enable AS6081A conformity, you should ensure your personnel are trained and competent in managing counterfeit parts risk across the aerospace supply chain. This includes training on your counterfeit mitigation policy, supply chain processes, inspection and testing methods, traceability, and reporting requirements.

You’re also expected to maintain an ongoing training and internal audit program aligned with your aerospace quality system, such as AS9100, AS9110, or AS9120, to consistently protect aircraft parts and products, and meet SAE and IAQG expectations.

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Why transfer your AS6081A certification to BSI?

Our full-time global aerospace team has over 200 years of combined auditing experience. We can deliver consistent integrated AS6081A audits wherever you are in the world.

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