The International Airline Medical Association (IAMA) was founded on 3 Sep 1944 as the Airline Medical Directors Association (AMDA) by a group of 14 physicians: Drs Rodney R Beard, John T MacDonald, OH Pearson and Frederick H Shillito from Pan American World Airways, Dr Kenneth E Dowd from Trans-Canada Airlines, Dr Howard K Edwards from Eastern Air Lines, Dr LC Harris from Canadian Pacific Airlines, Dr Ludwig G Lederer from Capital Airlines, Dr Hodges McKnight from American Airlines, Dr Jan H Tillisch from Northwest Orient Airlines, Dr Arnold P Tuttle from United Air Lines, Consultants: Dr Francis N Kimball, Dr R Bretney Miller, and Dr FE Poole, and Honorary Members Col Edward C Greene, MD and Ross A McFarland, Ph D.
In 1946 physicians from Australia, the United Kingdom and Shanghai joined the Association. The organization has remained truly international ever since. At present just under half of our members are from countries other than the USA.
In 2019, immediately prior to the global COVID pandemic, the organisation recognised the need to change and become more inclusive. We changed our name to the International Airline Medical Association and broadened our membership criteria to include all healthcare professionals working within airline medicine.