Easyjet proves too tempting a bargain for gatecrasher Apollo Analysis Apollo has gatecrashed Castelake’s cut-price Easyjet bid – setting up a potential buyout behemoth battle for the skies, writes Ali Lyon, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the colourful force behind London’s Easyjet, founded his low-cost carrier on a simple philosophy: promise travellers cheaper fares, and open up budget air travel for millions of customers who for decades had [...]
Easyjet agrees to £5.7bn Apollo takeover Aviation Apollo has agreed to buy budget airline Easyjet for £5.7bn in a shock deal that usurps an earlier bid from alternative asset manager Castlelake. Easyjet said on Friday that it was poised to accept an all-cash offer from the US investment behemoth valuing the airline at 714p a share, trumping the 690p a share bid [...]
Ryanair warns of ‘passport queue chaos’ with new EU border system Aviation Ryanair has warned the EU’s new biometric border system will cause “passport queue chaos” this summer and called on European governments to halt the rollout until after the busy travel season. The budget airline said the new system “is not ready” for the large volume of people travelling to Europe over the summer and urged [...]
‘Chaos’ – Aviation industry slams EU border checks as millions face summer holiday misery July 1, 2026 New EU rules have left Brits facing summer holiday chaos on an unprecedented scale, with five hour waits at passport control and thousands missing flights altogether. Now, a cluster of aviation industry groups has called on the trading bloc’s most senior official to suspend its new biometric border system, EES, whose botched rollout threatens to [...]
Gatwick expansion cleared for take-off, court rules June 23, 2026 Gatwick Airport moved a step closer to breaking ground on its eagerly anticipated expansion today after a court dismissed a pair of legal challenges brought by local campaigners. In a ruling, High Court judge Mr Justice Mould said the government’s assessment of the project’s environmental and climate impact was “lawful and reasonable” and branded the [...]
Ryanair hands O’Leary six-year extension June 19, 2026 Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary is set to remain in his role as chief executive for another six years after agreeing a fresh contract with the budget airline, including an enormous pay packet that could see him handed 10m additional shares. The Dublin-based carrier said the veteran chief executive’s contract will run until April 2032, following [...]
Heathrow slams regulator plans to ‘take UK backwards’ by slashing investment June 11, 2026 Heathrow has issued a scathing rebuttal of the regulator’s plans to crack down on the airport’s spending and expansion, warning that this risks “taking the UK backwards”. The UK’s largest airport said that the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) “proposed cuts to our investment plans risk taking the UK backwards and weakening our competitiveness”. The CAA [...]
Hotel tycoon Arora launches revamped Heathrow runway proposal May 18, 2026 The hotel tycoon behind a rival bid to build Heathrow’s third runway has tabled a fresh proposal backed by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic that would build the mega-project in two distinct stages in an effort to keep a lid on costs. Surinder Arora, the billionaire hospitality magnate behind a campaign to reshape Heathrow’s regulatory [...]
The Debate: Should airports ban early-morning pints? May 13, 2026 Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has had enough of drunkards on flights, but is banning 5am airport pints the answer? We hear both sides.
IAG: British Airways owner plays down jet fuel shortage concerns May 8, 2026 British Airways owner IAG has played down fears of a jet fuel shortage forcing it to cancel flights this summer but warned investors to expect lower earnings as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The London-listed carrier said the pan-regional war that has now dragged into its third month will have [...]