[5] On November 3, 2016, Transport Minister Marc Garneau approved Jetlines' request for exemption from the current foreign ownership rules, which allowed the airline to access necessary capital in order to begin operations.

[7] On May 8, 2018, Canada Jetlines announced that it would not be leasing two Boeing 737-800 aircraft as initially planned due to the lessor being unable to confirm a delivery date.

A public listing was sought as it provided greater access to capital given the increased liquidity compared to a private corporation.

In place of that agreement, Jetlines signed a letter of intent with SmartLynx Airlines for two alternate Airbus A320s available for delivery in Q4 2019, which was in line with the planned commencement of the company's operations.

[12] On February 28, 2022, Jetlines' first Airbus A320, C-GCJL, which formerly flew for Avianca and Pegasus Airlines,[13] touched down at Region of Waterloo International Airport.

[26] In November 2022, the airline announced its first destinations in the United States, consisting of Las Vegas and Melbourne, which were planned to launch in February 2023,[27][28] but had later been postponed.

[29] On December 19, 2022, the airline announced that it had received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin operations to the country.

[30] In January 2023, Canada Jetlines halted domestic flights to focus on its foreign travel routes and plane leasing.