Apollo left alone in the bidding for EasyJet: €6.6 billion
El Rigor · 6 de agosto de 2026, 21:24 · 2 min read
Cross-checked in sources from Economía
US private equity firm Apollo is to buy British low-cost airline EasyJet for €6.6bn, according to a report from Radio Intereconomía picked up by the Spanish financial press. The deal has been cleared after Castlelake, the other fund that had been bidding for the company, withdrew, leaving Apollo as the sole buyer at the table.
The €6.6bn figure is the one cited by the original source of the information. So far, none of the three parties involved — Apollo, EasyJet or Castlelake — has independently confirmed the transaction or its terms. The news rests solely on what the Spanish broadcaster has published.
Castlelake's withdrawal key to the outcome
Castlelake's exit from the bidding is the detail that explains the result. With the fund out of the picture, Apollo has not had to compete on price or on the terms of the acquisition, allowing it to negotiate on its own the purchase of one of the continent's largest low-cost carriers.
The deal comes at a time of pressure for European airlines, hit by higher fuel costs and the expenses arising from carbon emissions policies. Consolidation in the sector has been a trend observed in recent months, and the entry of a US fund into a British airline adds a new element to that landscape.
For the Spanish market, where EasyJet operates dozens of routes, the deal could have implications for connections and employment, although for now there are no details about the buying fund's plans for running the company.
The information is pending official confirmation from those involved. In the meantime, the market is watching the move closely; if confirmed, it would represent one of the biggest corporate transactions of the year in the European aviation sector.
Piece written and translated automatically from cross-checked sources in several countries.