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Apollo Wins Race for easyJet With £5.7 Billion Takeover

The 715p-per-share recommended cash offer begins a binding approval process requiring shareholder votes, court sanction plus regulator clearances in Austria, Egypt, Germany, the UK for an expected Q1 2027 close.

Overview

  • Apollo agreed a recommended cash acquisition for easyJet on Thursday, August 6, 2026 after rival Castlelake confirmed it would not make an offer, leaving Apollo as the sole bidder.
  • The deal values easyJet at about £5.7 billion and offers shareholders 715p per share in cash through Eagle Bidco Ltd with completion expected by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
  • Founder Sir Stelios Haji‑Ioannou and his family have given irrevocable undertakings covering roughly 15.31% of shares to vote for the scheme and the easyJet board has unanimously recommended the offer.
  • Shareholders may elect unlisted rollover shares in Topco instead of cash on a one-for-one basis but that option is capped at 49.9% of Topco’s issued share capital and may be scaled back.
  • If approved, the transaction will take easyJet private and remove it from the London market, a move that could shift control of its airport slots, fleet strategy and workforce oversight to Apollo and its partners.