The airline was headquartered in Calgary, Alberta and was named after WestJet's desire to "swoop" (or jump) into the Canadian market with a new business model.

The airline was planned to launch in late 2017,[7] but in August 2017 it was delayed to June 2018 after switching to a lower-cost booking system.

On August 2, 2018, Swoop announced that it was to become the first Canadian ultra low-cost airline to fly to the United States, launching service to Las Vegas, Phoenix (Mesa), Tampa, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale throughout the month of October 2018.

[18] On January 9, 2020, Swoop expanded its East Coast network with three new destinations to St. John's, Charlottetown, and Moncton.

[19] In October 2020, Swoop switched its eastern base to Toronto Pearson International Airport.

[20] On June 9, 2023 it was announced that Swoop would be integrated and shut down at the end of its current published schedule on October 28, 2023.

[21] Prior to October 28, 2023, Swoop's route network consisted of destinations across North America and the Caribbean.