The company was founded in 1874 by Charles Hunting, a veterinary surgeon, as a shipping business.

This change of name resulted from the Hunting family's decision to split the group and to transfer their airline business to a new holding company which they had set up together with the Scottish Clan Line, a rival shipping company owned by the Cayzer family.

[9] In June 1998, Hunting Cargo Airlines was sold to a consortium consisting of CMB (Belgium) and Safair (part of the Imperial Group) and rechristened ACL (Air Contractors Limited).

[12] In December 2008, it completed the disposal of Gibson Energy, its operation transporting and marketing crude oil in Canada, for a total consideration of £517m.

[15] On 12 August 2011 Hunting announced the acquisition of Dearborn Precision Tubular Products for US83.5 million.