Several parked Easyjet planes.Image: sda
July 5, 2026, 8:00 p.mJuly 5, 2026, 8:00 p.m
The British low-cost airline Easyjet has finally given in to the persistent advertising of the US investor Castlelake. Easyjet agreed to the fifth takeover offer from the Americans “in principle,” as the companies announced on Sunday in London.
Castlelake is now offering 6.90 British pounds per share, which values Easyjet at 5.2 billion pounds (almost 5.6 billion Swiss francs). The low-cost airline had rejected all previous offers, but Castlelake had left a back door open for improvements.
Because Castlelake is a US company, it cannot take majority control of a European airline and therefore needs partners. That’s why Castlelake will reportedly work with aviation managers Peter Bellew and Mark Breen. Bellew was previously at Easyjet before abruptly leaving the company in 2022.
Easyjet’s most attractive assets include a fleet of modern Airbus A320 aircraft and landing rights in London, Milan and Geneva. The company’s largest shareholder is the family of founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou with a stake of 15.3 percent. (sda/dpa)