The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of the U.S.A. spearheaded the formation of IAOPA. An interim organization came into being on February 2, 1962, with four other groups joining AOPA-U.S. to form the nucleus of what was to be the permanent organization. The founding groups were:

• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn.-U.S.A.
  
• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn.-Australia
  
• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn.-South Africa
  
• Canadian Owners and Pilots Assn.
  
• Philippine Airmen's Organization

One of the provisions in the IAOPA Constitution and Bylaws is that only one organization will be accepted from each country.
An informal objective worked out between the founders and ICAO headquarters officials was that a minimum number of countries would be represented in IAOPA before the organization would apply to ICAO for official status. In the interim, IAOPA participated in ICAO meetings by specific invitation.

The permanent IAOPA organization came into being on October 22, 1964. On this day the organization also was accorded accredited status by ICAO.