EasyJet shareholders have voted to approve the airline's £5.7 billion takeover by US investment group Apollo. At a meeting on Wednesday, 97.07% of investors backed the deal, while 2.93% voted against it.
The Luton-based carrier stated that the takeover is anticipated to be completed by the end of March next year. This transaction will conclude easyJet's more than 26 years on the London stock market and transfer the airline into US ownership.
Apollo, which also owns The Restaurant Group, agreed to the takeover with easyJet's board in August at 715p per share. This followed a bidding contest with US investment firm Castlelake, which had previously proposed £5.5 billion, or 690p a share, before withdrawing from the process.
Kenton Jarvis, easyJet's chief executive, noted that the deal is now awaiting regulatory approval and that the company still expects the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2027. Mr Jarvis also mentioned plans to modernise the fleet with new Airbus A320 and A321neo aircraft, replacing older models, and to launch a loyalty programme next year.