The International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), which oversees the AS9100 certification scheme, has announced it intends to honor international law and comply with sanctions against Russia and key state-run firms.
In an email sent to members and OASIS registrants, IAQG announced it was “suspending” all Russian member companies, and withdrawing all certificates issued in that country.
The full statement reads as follows:
Due to concerns and in response to the continuing Russian and Ukraine conflict, the IAQG Executive Committee has reviewed and unanimously voted on the following actions regarding IAQG activities:
- IAQG has suspended Russian member companies and their interactions with members. This includes interactions on IAQG committees, writing teams and activities.
- Russian member companies and participants shall not partake in any further meetings or voting decisions as it relates to the IAQG or any Sector activities (EAQG, APAQG or AAQG).
- IAQG will not conduct oversight nor engage with entities in Russia.
- 9100, 9110 and 9120 Quality Certificates with Russian entities are no longer recognized and access to the OASIS data base shall be withdrawn.
- Russian Member companies (Full, Associate or Affiliate) shall no longer have access to any IAQG managed IT platforms.
The ongoing conflict will continuously be monitored and the actions will remain in place until key country sanctions have been lifted or resolved.
The move comes as Oxebridge was applying pressure on IAQG to take these actions. Until today, three dozen Russian state-run firms under sanctions held AS9100 certificates issued under the full authority of IAQG. Certification and accreditation bodies have earned millions of dollars in money paid by Russian sanctioned companies.
As of 9 AM Eastern time today, the official “OASIS” database still lists the Russian firms as certified. It is not clear when IAQG intends to update its records.
The IAQG repeatedly refused to take action against Russian firms even after sanctions were imposed in 2014 for Russia’s invasion of Crimea. Oxebridge filed an official OASIS complaint in 2021 demanding IAQG honor those sanctions, but IAQG refused.
Oxebridge warned the IAQG that its US-based staff and committee members faced decades in prison under US OFAC regulations if it were determined they intentionally ignored US sanctions. The IAQG is managed by the US-based company SAE International.
IAQG did not make any statement related to Belarus, which is also under sanctions for its support of the Ukraine invasion. One company in Belarus is listed in OASIS as holding AS9100 certification, issued by Bureau Veritas.
ISO certification scheme bodies that have elected to honor sanctions now include IQNet, EA, and IAQG. Meanwhile, the IAF, ILAC, and most other accreditation bodies have remained silent, continuing to support Russia and work with firms under sanctions.
ISO continues to sell its products in Russia, and has refused to take any action. This puts ISO at odds with its own national government in Switzerland, which has broken long-standing neutrality policies and taken a position against Russia.
The IAQG connection was particularly troubling because the AS9100 certified firms included those involved directly in the Ukraine invasion, and under direct sanctions from the Biden administration.
The IAQG announcement directed all questions to its current President, Andy Maher of BAE Systems. The announcement did not provide contact information for Maher, but he can be contacted at andy.maher@baesystems.com.
UPDATE 17 March 2022. Over a week later, OASIS still lists all the Russian companies as holding current, accredited certificates. There appears to have been no work done on removing them from OASIS, or de-certifying them, as suggested by the IAQG press release.
