Apollo agrees £5.7bn takeover of easyJet
UK low‑cost carrier accepts a £5.7bn cash offer from Apollo; completion targeted by end of Q1 2027
easyJet has accepted a takeover offer from US investment firm Apollo Global Management valued at £5.7 billion — about €6.6 billion — the carrier confirmed on Thursday.
In a statement the airline said the board "is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement on the terms of the recommended cash acquisition". The offer values easyJet shares at £7.15 in cash, roughly €8.35 per share, and the process is expected to conclude by the end of the first quarter of 2027. The announcement followed the withdrawal of rival bidder Castlelake.
Deal structure and ownership limits
Under the terms of the takeover, founder Stelios Haji‑Ioannou and his family will retain a stake in the new holding company. Apollo’s holding will be capped at a maximum of 49.9 percent to comply with airline ownership rules in the United Kingdom and Europe, and the EU Trust will hold up to 5 percent.
easyJet was founded in 1995 by British‑Cypriot entrepreneur Stelios Haji‑Ioannou and began as a low‑cost carrier operating flights across Europe. Its first services connected London Luton — still the airline’s headquarters — with Glasgow and Edinburgh, and in 1996 it launched international routes to Amsterdam, Nice and Barcelona.
Since those early years easyJet has grown into one of Europe’s largest airlines and now operates a fleet of more than 300 aircraft.
The board’s recommendation and the limited ownership stakes for Apollo and other holders are aimed to satisfy regulatory and national ownership rules as the deal proceeds through the required approvals ahead of the expected closing in early 2027.
Photo: Printskrin/Iks
