Shortly after the end of World War II the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was formed and began to make decisions on aviation policy and the structure of civil aviation. This began to concern a number of national pilots' associations who were being left out of the process. As a result thirteen associations formed the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations or IFALPA in 1948.
The IFALPA therefore exists to deal with matters which affect international civil aviation and to provide airline pilots with a global voice in the world's major aviation forums. Unlike other similar international federations it does not appear to concern itself with any issues regarding pay, conditions or the state of the Amazonian rain forest (it leaves those sort of issues to the national pilots' associations) but occupies itself with the issue of aviation safety.
Its current membership consists of over 90 member associations representing a total in excess of 100,000 pilots.