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Fri, 10 Jul 2026

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 EasyJet agrees to surprise takeover bid as rival US firm swoops in

The airline says a bid from US firm Apollo has trumped a recent takeover offer from Castlelake.
EasyJet has agreed in principle to a £5.7bn takeover proposal from US firm Apollo Global Management, outdoing a previous bid from Castlelake worth £5.2bn. EasyJet's shareholders will receive £7.15 per share under the new deal, compared to £6.90 per share offered by Castlelake. The airline's decision comes just days after it accepted an offer from Castlelake, which had previously been rejected due to its lower valuation. Apollo's proposal represents a significant increase in value for EasyJet shareholders, with shares rising nearly 15% on Friday. Analysts say EasyJet is an attractive target due to its profitability, large fleet of aircraft, and valuable take-off and landing slots at major airports. Apollo has set a deadline of August 7th to make a firm bid, while Castlelake's deadline is August 3rd.