Key Takeaways
- • EasyJet shareholders approved Apollo's £5.7 billion ($7.61 billion) takeover of the budget airline on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, according to Reuters, clearing a key step in one of the largest private-equity buyouts of a European carrier.
- • Scheme shares voted in favour at 97.07%, and 83.29% of voting shareholders backed the deal, exceeding the threshold required to take EasyJet private.
- • The airline targets deal completion before the end of Q1 2027, when it would delist from the London Stock Exchange after more than 25 years.
- • EU ownership rules remain the main regulatory hurdle: EasyJet holds EU licences requiring majority EU-based shareholding, and EU EU persons held 35.07% of shares at the meeting, prompting suspension of voting rights for some non-EU investors.
- • The European Works Council has warned that the deal structure could weaken the airline's resilience and expose employees to unaddressed risks.
Summary
Shareholders of EasyJet (EZJ.L) approved the £5.7 billion ($7.61 billion) takeover by Apollo Global Management (APO.N) at a general meeting on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Reuters reported. The vote clears an important step in what would be one of the largest private-equity buyouts of a European airline. EasyJet said 97.07% of scheme shares voted were cast in favour, and 83.29% of voting shareholders supported the deal, clearing the threshold needed to take the budget carrier private. Scheme shares are those being acquired under a court-approved scheme of arrangement.
The airline is aiming to complete the transaction before the end of the first quarter of 2027, at which point EasyJet would leave the London stock market after more than a quarter of a century. The buyout is part of a broader trend of London-listed companies being acquired by mostly US-based private-equity firms, as the FTSE 100 has traded at a discount to its US counterpart, Reuters noted.
The transaction faces regulatory obstacles in the European Union. EasyJet is headquartered in Britain but relies on EU operating licences for its bases and routes across the bloc, so a majority of its shares must be held by EU-based investors. EU officials are preparing a review of airline ownership rules designed to prevent foreign investors from gaining effective control of carriers. To comply with current rules, the airline suspended voting rights attached to some shares held by non-EU investors. EasyJet said EU persons held 35.07% of its shares at the time of the general meeting.
The deal also faces opposition from labour. The European Works Council warned that the structure of the buyout could weaken the airline's resilience and expose employees to unaddressed risks.
The airline is aiming to complete the transaction before the end of the first quarter of 2027, at which point EasyJet would leave the London stock market after more than a quarter of a century. The buyout is part of a broader trend of London-listed companies being acquired by mostly US-based private-equity firms, as the FTSE 100 has traded at a discount to its US counterpart, Reuters noted.
The transaction faces regulatory obstacles in the European Union. EasyJet is headquartered in Britain but relies on EU operating licences for its bases and routes across the bloc, so a majority of its shares must be held by EU-based investors. EU officials are preparing a review of airline ownership rules designed to prevent foreign investors from gaining effective control of carriers. To comply with current rules, the airline suspended voting rights attached to some shares held by non-EU investors. EasyJet said EU persons held 35.07% of its shares at the time of the general meeting.
The deal also faces opposition from labour. The European Works Council warned that the structure of the buyout could weaken the airline's resilience and expose employees to unaddressed risks.
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