EasyJet agrees to be taken private by US investment firm Castlelake

EasyJet has agreed to be bought by US investment firm Castlelake for £5.5 billion. The deal was announced on a Sunday evening in July 2026. Castlelake will pay £6.90 for each share in the airline. If the deal is completed, easyJet will leave the stock market and become a privately owned company. The airline has been publicly traded since 2000, so this would end more than 25 years as a listed company. EasyJet is the biggest low-cost airline in the UK and is currently part of the FTSE 250 index. Castlelake had made several earlier offers before easyJet finally agreed. The American firm has said it wants to help the airline grow across Europe.