easyJet (LON: EZJ), the London-listed budget airline and holidays group, and its takeover suitor Apollo have agreed to push back the deadline for publishing the formal scheme document underpinning their 715p-a-share deal, from the original 28-day timetable to 15 October. The extension, confirmed with the UK Takeover Panel’s consent, buys more time to satisfy aviation regulators before the paperwork is filed.
easyJet shares stood at 673.4p in trading today, barely changed from the previous close of 673.8p and just below Apollo’s 715p offer.
easyJet and Apollo’s acquisition vehicle, Eagle Bidco, said in a joint statement that the extra six weeks were needed “in order to facilitate continuing constructive engagement with the relevant aviation regulators following the summer period and prior to publishing the scheme document.” A scheme of arrangement is the court-approved process used to take a UK public company private, and European rules restrict ownership of airlines by non-European controllers, which is why the sign-off is taking longer than first planned. The shareholder and court meetings are still expected in the second week of November, with completion still targeted for the end of the first quarter of 2027.
Ready to put what you’ve learned into practice?
Try IG’s platform with £10,000 in virtual funds and practise trading
without putting your own money at risk.
Try IG with a demo account →
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Learn the markets with IG Academy
Build your knowledge with IG Academy educational content, then use a
demo account to practise what you’ve learned on the IG platform.
Explore IG →
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
See how trading works before risking real money
IG’s demo gives you access to thousands of markets and £10,000 in
virtual funds, so you can explore the platform and test your ideas first.
Open an IG demo →
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Turn trading theory into practical experience
Learn with IG Academy, explore charts and market tools, and practise
strategies in a simulated trading environment before going live.
Start practising with IG →
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Ready to take your learning further?
IG combines market education, analysis and an established trading platform,
giving you the tools to keep learning as you develop your trading skills.
Discover IG →
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Apollo’s 715p offer, agreed on 6 August, beat a rival 690p bid from US private credit firm Castlelake, which withdrew from the process that day and is now barred under Takeover Code Rule 2.8 from making a fresh approach unless Apollo’s offer collapses. Shares are trading roughly 6% below the 715p offer price, a gap that reflects the deal’s remaining conditions rather than any change in terms.
The contest began in May when Castlelake first approached easyJet, before Apollo entered in July with its higher, board-recommended bid. The deadline slip changes the timetable, not the substance of the deal: both sides say completion by the end of the first quarter of 2027 remains the target.
