[1][2] The airline was founded in late 2013 by Sam Raphael, a Dominican hotelier who wanted to improve air service to Dominica.

[4] On 31 August 2013, Raphael announced his intent to start the airline, claiming it would be important to the Dominican tourism industry.

[4] In October 2015, the airline obtained Part 135 certification from the U.S. Department of Transportation, allowing it to operate scheduled flights.

The airline responded by immediately suspending all passenger operations and launching an internal investigation.

[8][9] Following a period of reorganization and retraining of its pilots, Hummingbird Air resumed operations on 3 May 2016, in time for the summer travel season.