CHC operates the marine search and rescue service for the Irish Coast Guard at Shannon, Waterford, Sligo and Dublin airports.

Following the end of the Second World War, two former Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) instructors, Carl Agar and Barney Bent, aspired to continue flying aircraft and chose to form their own flight training club, the South Okanagan Flying Club, in Penticton using a handful of de Havilland Tiger Moths.

[4] In July 1947, the company was able to raise sufficient finance to purchase its own Bell 47-B3 helicopter, CF-FZX, as well as to funding training on both its maintenance and piloting.

[4] The company's initial use of its helicopter largely revolved around crop dusting; on 1 September 1947, CF-FZX was damaged after striking powerlines, but was repaired after several months.

[4] In 1987, Newfoundland businessman Craig Dobbin headed a group of investors organized under the name Canadian Holding Company, commonly using the initialism CHC.

[4] The new entity placed a great priority upon merger and acquisition opportunities, in addition to forming strategic partnerships, that would allow it to enter new or lightly served regions, such as South America.

[6][8] As part of the restructuring, the company relocated its corporate headquarters from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador to Richmond, British Columbia.

In January 2014, the company announced its intention to raise up to $529 million through an initial public offering, the proceeds of which it mainly intended to use to paydown its outstanding debts.

[15] CHC's bankruptcy was attributed to recent drops in the price of oil having negatively impacted revenue, making it unable to service the company's high burden of debt; other helicopter operators were also reported to be struggling under the prevailing economic conditions of the period as well.

During July 2016, a Texas court allowed CHC to shed 65 helicopters from its financial obligations, the majority of its Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma fleet.

[24] CHC, as part of the Soteria SAR consortium was selected as the "Preferred Bidder" for a 25-year contract to provide a civilian Search and Rescue service throughout the United Kingdom.

[25] However, days before the contract was due to be signed in February 2011, the British Government halted the process after CHC disclosed that it had unauthorised access to commercially sensitive information.

[26] The Soteria SAR was cancelled and the contract was awarded to back to Bristow Helicopters, who had operated the coastguard helicopters from Stornoway Airport, Sumburgh Airport, RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus) and RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey) during the time of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force operating their Westland Sea Kings, prior to the Soteria SAR being set up.

[36] CHC operates approximately 250 aircraft in over 30 countries which include Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, Thailand, the Philippines, the Middle East, South Africa, Ecuador, Angola, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.