Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou said he and his family will support Apollo’s proposed acquisition of easyJet and intend to remain shareholders in the private company that would be created if the airline is delisted from the London Stock Exchange.
In a statement, Haji-Ioannou said the decision followed careful consideration of Apollo’s proposal, which was announced by easyJet’s board.
He said he founded easyJet in 1994, at the age of 27, as the first company in the easy family of brands. The airline was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2000 to raise funding for fleet expansion, which has grown from 19 aircraft at the time of the listing to around 356 today.
Haji-Ioannou also said he chose to retain ownership of the easyJet trademark through his private company, easyGroup Ltd. He said ownership of the easy family of brands has provided a steady source of income over the past 26 years, which he now uses to fund the charitable work of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation.
He welcomed Apollo’s plans for easyJet, saying they aim to create new growth opportunities for the airline. He added that Apollo’s decision to invest in easyJet, which he described as the leading member of the easy family of brands, reinforces the value of the easy brand and the strength of easyGroup’s business model.
Haji-Ioannou said he and his family intend to remain significant long-term shareholders in easyJet, supporting the company’s next chapter.
