EasyJet agrees to £5.7bn takeover by US firm
EasyJet has agreed to a £5.7 billion takeover bid from the US investment firm Apollo, following the withdrawal of a competing offer from Castlelake. The deal aims to leverage Apollo's aviation experience to accelerate EasyJet's commercial and operational growth.
Why it matters
This acquisition represents a major consolidation in the European aviation sector, potentially impacting competition and service strategies for one of the continent's largest budget airlines.
Image source, Getty Images Published 6 August 2026, 15:21 BST Updated 6 minutes ago EasyJet has agreed to be taken over in a £5.7bn deal by US firm Apollo.
The deal was announced after rival suitor Castlelake said it was dropping out of the bid battle for the no-frills airline.
EasyJet is one of Europe's largest airlines. It employs more than 19,000 people, and flies around 1,200 routes across 35 European countries.
It was founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou in 1995 to offer cheap air fares to Europe from the UK.
Its first flights took off in November 1995 flying from Luton to Glasgow and Edinburgh, with its first international flights the following year.
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