The European Aerospace Quality Group (EAQG) convened in Türkiye for the first time under the sponsorship of Turkish Aerospace Industries. At the meeting, which was attended by SAHA Istanbul and 40 other members from around the world, international aviation quality activities were evaluated. Airbus Defence and Space, Leonardo, BAE Systems, Thales, Dassault Aviation, HENSOLDT, AIAD, Meggitt, FACC AG Operations, Fokker Technologies Holding B.V. Aerostructures,
The meeting, in which 40 EAQG members from various countries such as ArianeGroup, Aselsan Turkish Aerospace, TEI – TAI Engine Industry participated in person and remotely, was held in Türkiye for the first time.
With the National Aviation Industry Committee (MİHENK), which was established with the participation of the giant companies that make up Türkiye’s aviation industry under the leadership of SAHA Istanbul, Türkiye became the 13th country to complete the integration of the European Aviation Quality Group (EAQG).
Türkiye thus became a part of the organisation that manages the aviation industry in the world and supervises quality processes, and this development paved the way for our national companies to issue AS 9100 certificates. The Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) was integrated into the European Civil Aviation Quality System through the established SAHA MİHENK structure and became able to accredit our national companies to issue AS/9100 series qualification certificates.
With the EAQG end-of-term meeting held, SAHA Istanbul became an Affiliate Member of EAQG and started to take steps to become one of the decision-making organisations in the field of aviation by voting.
SAHA ISTANBUL MİHENK OP Assessor trainings were successfully completed
SAHA İSTANBUL MİHENK (TR CBMC – Turkish Certification Body Management Committee) OP Assessor trainings, which has undertaken the task of establishing the Industry Controlled Other Party (ICOP) structure in Türkiye and ensuring the compliance of National Accreditation Bodies (NAB) and Accredited Certification Bodies (CB) with 9104 series standards, were successfully completed on 14-15-16 March 2022 in Istanbul.
Under the coordination of Turkish Aerospace Ind. A.Ş., TAI, TEI, ASELSAN and Thales Group participated in this training, which was given for the first time in Türkiye by EAQG OPMT (Other Party Management Team).
Mihenk (National Aviation Industry Committee) acts as the Technical Committee of SAHA Istanbul Defence and Aerospace Cluster and represents the Turkish National Aviation, Space and Defence Industry. MİHENK and its activities support the European Sector Management Structure (SMS), European Aerospace Quality Group (EAQG) Other Party Management Team (OPMT) and SAHA Istanbul Defence and Aerospace Cluster, which acts as the Turkish National Aerospace Industry Association.
National solutions in aviation quality certification
Currently, Türkiye’s defence and aerospace sector’s need for certification according to the AS/EN 9100 International Quality Management System Standard for the aerospace and defence industry is met by foreign companies.
İlhami Keleş pointed out that the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) should obtain the authority to accredit domestic companies from the International Aviation Quality Group (IAQG) in order to meet this need of the defence and aerospace sector with domestic companies and to prevent the outflow of resources abroad:
“This committee, which was established in order to create the necessary formal requirements for TÜRKAK to obtain this authorisation on the one hand, and to be a part of the structures that manage the aviation industry abroad and supervise quality processes on the other hand, will make a great contribution to the sector. In the following period, MİHENK will show a willingness to expand according to the need.”
