Climate change is one global topic which is currently world-wide discussed by politicians and scientists. The Forth Assessment Report of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stirred an intensive public debate on future aeronautical research challenges and policies. This report identifies aviation to contribute 2–3 percent of today’s total global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This prompted the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to set the long term challenge of Zero Emission Aviation by 2050 and emphasised the importance of addressing these challenges on a global level. The answers and solutions to these demands are expected to be given by research. Except networks on continent level (e.g. EREA in Europe), the worldwide aerospace research organisations are currently not coordinated and do not have a representative who can react to the political questions and demands. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) took this need as opportunity to organise 2008 and 2010 a Summit and invited key leaders of international aeronautical research to address the question of the Air Transport of the Future in the context of climate change. In 2008, the participants discussed possibilities and strategies. In 2010 the participants founded the International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR) which aims to find potential solutions for ecologically and economically efficient flights. IFAR will develop a Road Map addressing the most important questions regarding the aviation challenges; the global air transport system's efficiency, atmospheric impact but also other topics as safety, noise and new technologies. Thus the strategic goal of IFAR is to generate and to collaborate in the aviation research challenges and technology avenues worldwide. The proposed EU project IFARs is a Support Action which aims to support IFAR within the next 3 years.