- The European Works Council opposes Apollo’s five point seven billion pound takeover of easyJet, saying worker assurances are non-binding.
- Apollo’s job assurances last only twelve months; unions seek longer guarantees and protection for collective bargaining.
- The deal still needs shareholder, court and regulatory approval, with completion targeted before the end of March 2027.
The European Works Council has opposed Apollo’s £5.7 billion takeover of easyJet, arguing that its employment assurances leave workers exposed even as the transaction faces shareholder and court approval. The council says the assurances last only 12 months and are non-binding. The deal is not yet approved.
The council said the transaction could weaken easyJet’s long-term resilience. It also warned of risks for employees across Europe that the commitments do not address or reduce.
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“The EWC considers that the transaction, as structured, is likely to weaken easyJet’s long-term resilience and to expose employees across Europe to risks that are neither addressed nor mitigated by the assurances given.”
Prospect wants longer-lasting job guarantees, continued protection for collective-bargaining arrangements and meaningful consultation with recognized unions during Apollo’s ownership. Unite has also sought commitments and engaged legal advisers to examine the transaction. It represents thousands of easyJet employees, including cabin crew.
Positions among employee representatives vary by country. Bodies in France, Portugal and Spain have not endorsed the acquisition, while representatives in the United Kingdom and Germany have remained neutral on its financial terms.
European ownership rules leave approvals outstanding
A separate regulatory test asks whether easyJet will remain majority owned and effectively controlled by European interests, as European airline rules require. Apollo has proposed a governance framework intended to preserve that control. More approvals are still needed.
EasyJet said it had received some approvals in Austria, Britain, France, Germany and Malta. Further clearances remain outstanding in those countries and elsewhere, leaving the ownership question among the deal’s unresolved regulatory issues.
Deal documents give two dates for the November meetings
EasyJet published its formal scheme document on October 15, 2026. The court and shareholder meetings are planned for the week beginning November 9, 2026, while other takeover documents specify November 11, 2026. Both dates appear in the deal materials; they do not establish a single meeting date.
The transaction remains subject to shareholder approval, court sanction and additional regulatory clearances. EasyJet expects it to take effect before the end of March 2027, matching the stated target of completion by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
A completed deal could end a 25-year public listing
If Apollo completes the acquisition, easyJet could leave the London Stock Exchange after more than 25 years as a listed company. The transaction could also set a precedent for private-equity acquisitions of tightly regulated European airlines.
