ICOP

ICOP stands for “Industry Controlled Other Party” and commonly refers to the oversight and certification scheme used by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) to manage accredited third-party certification to aerospace quality standards such as AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120.

What ICOP is

In the aerospace context, ICOP is an industry-controlled system for managing how certification bodies are approved, monitored and operated when issuing certifications to IAQG-supported standards. It provides a structured framework that defines:

• How certification bodies are accredited and overseen
• Requirements for auditors who perform AS9100-series audits
• Rules for audit conduct, reporting, and nonconformity management
• How certification data is captured and shared within the IAQG ecosystem

The scheme is controlled by the aerospace industry (through IAQG and sector management structures) rather than by any single certification body. It is intended to create consistency and traceability in how organizations are audited and certified to aerospace quality management standards.

How ICOP shows up in operations

For manufacturers and MRO organizations operating under AS9100-series standards, ICOP typically appears as:

• References to “ICOP-recognized” or “IAQG-recognized” certification bodies in procurement or supplier requirements
• Requirements that AS9100 certificates be issued under the ICOP scheme
• Use of IAQG databases (such as the OASIS database) where ICOP audit and certification data are recorded
• Audit processes that follow ICOP-defined rules for audit duration, scope and reporting

Operationally, this affects which certification body a company may select and how audit evidence, nonconformances and corrective actions are documented and reviewed.

What ICOP does not mean

ICOP does not refer to:

• A specific quality management standard or requirement set like AS9100 or ISO 9001
• A certification body or registrar itself
• An internal quality program or internal audit method inside a plant

Instead, it is the industry-controlled framework that sits around and governs these external certification activities.

Common confusion

ICOP is commonly confused with:

• AS9100: AS9100 defines what a quality management system must include. ICOP defines how accredited third parties assess and certify against AS9100 under IAQG control.
• Individual certification bodies: Certification bodies conduct audits and issue certificates, but they are approved and monitored within the ICOP scheme; they do not control the scheme itself.

Link to ownership of AS9100

AS9100 is developed and maintained by the IAQG and published through standards bodies such as SAE or ASD-STAN. ICOP is the IAQG-controlled framework that governs how accredited third parties audit and certify organizations to that standard, ensuring industry control over the certification process without transferring ownership of the standard to certification bodies.