Everyone’s mad for easyJet: or so it would seem. While the deal with Castlelake initially appeared to be the only viable option, the airline’s board of directors has instead opted for the new bid from Apollo. The offer of £7.15 per share, for a deal worth £5.7 billion, effectively surpasses that of the US private equity Castlelake.

In any case this is a new chapter in the history of easyJet, Europe’s second-largest low-cost carrier, founded in 1995 by the Greek-Cypriot entrepreneur Stelios Haji-Ioannou, which carries around 90 million passengers a year. The offer from the American private equity giant (because yes, it is indeed a US-based firm) would allow current shareholders to reinvest their shares in the new company, enabling Haji-Ioannou (who owns just over 15%of the airline) to become a private shareholder. And, what's more Apollo (which has previously invested in airlines such as Aeromexico, Sun Country Airlines and the Atlas Air cargo group, and provided financing to KLM, Virgin Atlantic, SAS and LATAM) is said to be keen to support easyJet’s current growth strategy, centred on a fleet of larger, more fuel-efficient aircraft and on expanding its leisure travel business.

easyJet brings valuable assets to the table, including its own fleet of aircraft (over 210) and slots at major European airports. But, for the deal to be financially profitable, analysts see the need for significant restructuring (EBIT at least tripled by 2030) or an increase in value through the sale of assets. What is certain is that nothing is going to be straightforward: even the Apollo project will have to contend with strict European regulations which do not permit a continental airline to be controlled by foreign entities. Whish is why further European capital will be needed to secure the green light from Brussels. So all that remains is to wait and see how the situation develops, as it is bound to influence the fate of the "orange" airline.

Mariella Cattaneo
Journalist

As La Compagnie makes inroads into the Italian market, new aircraft will soon join the fleet.

Confident about the Newark-Milan route

“Business is tougher, competition is fiercer, but overall we expect demand, by the end of the financial year in October, and to be close to budget, with the exception of fuel costs, which have risen significantly."  Christian Vernet, CEO of La Compagnie, remains confident about the performance of the current financial year, particularly on the Newark-Milan route, which has faced more than one challenge. From “concerns over immigration and restrictions on foreign nationals entering the US, something that initially made tourists somewhat reluctant to travel to the United States, but which has now stabilized somewhat. The result is that demand has not been as strong as we expected’ and the booking window "has narrowed quite significantly. In other words, people are postponing their decision to travel. And this is the current situation, to which we must and are adapting." 

Operating with two A321neo aircraft

“We are determined to increase our capacity in order to offer daily flights as soon as possible. We are currently operating two A321neo aircraft. The third is on its way: delivery is scheduled for February 2027 although we had expected this sooner. With this aircraft, we will be able to launch new routes in Europe from Newark. A fourth aircraft will arrive in 2028, and it will be an A321neo XLR, which will expand our flight offering from every destination we serve, particularly in Italy, though we are still evaluating other locations as well.”

Aiming for daily flights

The carrier’s 100% business-class, combined with "truly premium" ground and in-flight services, appears to have been well received in the Italian market, given that La Compagnie launched the Milan Malpensa–Newark route in 2022, right in the midst of the post-Covid period: “Since then, we have carried around 112,000 passengers between the two cities and operated around 2,100 flights. We currently offer 5–6 flights a week, and aim to increase this to daily flights as soon as possible, once the third aircraft arrives. 

"75% leisure traffic and 20–25% cheaper"  

On the Milan route, the airline “has captured 18% of passengers, although I think that we deserve more. Increasing our brand awareness is one of the areas where we need to work harder.” Some 75% of this traffic is leisure, with a high proportion of American passengers for whom Italy is an unmissable holiday destination “I would point out that our offering boasts, in any case, affordable prices. On average we are 20–25% cheaper, and sometimes even 30% cheaper, than other airlines. And this makes a huge difference, both for the leisure market and for the business market, which often includes SMEs with budget constraints.”

It’s a scorching summer for Italian and, more generally, for all European airports. And not just because of the particularly hot weather, which is also putting to the test tourists and attractions like the Uffizi and the Louvre, which are finding themselves having to cope with air-conditioning systems ill-suited to such heatwaves. Since last April, passengers arriving from non-EU countries and entering the European Union – and therefore Italy – have had to undergo biometric checks at airports. The so-called EES (Entry-Exit System), in force since April, and previously trialled from October 2025, continues to be a real challenge for airport operators.

The new border checks are causing queues of up to six hours, a marked deterioration compared with the spring, on the eve of a summer that is set to be a record-breaker for air traffic. As a result, dozens of airport management companies are sounding the alarm, in some cases calling for the temporary suspension of entry and exit verification procedures.

Following the warning from SEA, the company managing Milan’s airports, Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma, now sounds the alarm in the pages of the Financial Times: "We are very concerned about the summer; on a scale of one to ten, I’d say eight or nine. The process is proving incompatible with the traffic peaks we will face,” and he further warned it will probably have to be suspended to avoid “disasters.”

The appeal from Rome is merely the latest in a series. In recent weeks industry associations, led by ACI Europe and IATA, as well as individual airports from Frankfurt to Athens, have drawn attention to the problem. While, on the one hand, there are calls for flexibility regarding the system’s continuation, on the other, now that the peak travel period has begun, the European Commission remains reluctant: “The EES is fully operational in all Schengen countries and is working well,” is the reply from Brussels. “In most cases, long waiting times are not linked to the functioning of the EES, but to pre-existing factors, such as staff shortages, infrastructure constraints and the concentration of flights in certain time slots.”

So, the matter is left entirely to the individual member states. “The rules provide for flexibility to ensure the smooth flow of traffic at borders, particularly in the run-up to next summer”, which means for example, allowing the suspension of biometric checks. “It is up to the member states to ensure the correct implementation of the EES within their territories.” In short, a hot topic. Like the weather.

Mariella Cattaneo
Journalist

A war that is turning into yet another test for international tourism, challenging the resilience of a global industry that has had to deal all too often with conflict.  Pages of history we would not have wanted to tell - and would not want to tell again – but which are being thrust back into the spotlight. And once again, it is deeply saddening to think that we might become accustomed to it all. 

Yet, less than two weeks after the start of the war in Iran, which initially paralyzed air traffic that had made the Middle East one of the world's key transport hubs, travellers are still planning their travels.  Perhaps reconsidering their original itineraries, leading to a shift in the classic international tourist flow trends. This is highlighted by a study by the tourism consultancy firm Mabrian, which notes a significant deterioration in the perception of safety in several Middle Eastern destinations, along with the first signs of a change in demand.

The analysis, based on data relating to traveller sentiment and demand behaviour in the main outbound markets (the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy), shows a decline in confidence in several Gulf destinations Something that could open up new opportunities for other tourism markets. According to Mabrian there are already early signs that some of the demand usually directed towards the Middle East could be redirected towards European nations which are perceived as safer and more established. Countries such as Spain, Italy or Greece, although of course at this stage it is premature to assume a structural change in global demand. 

For now the data mainly reflect shifts in perceptions and travel intentions but, if the conflict were to continue, it could mean more noticeable changes in bookings.

Mariella Cattaneo
Journalist

Abruzzo’s Pescara Airport is thinking big and aiming at attracting intercontinental flights. 

An extended runway for intercontinental flights

Reaching Abruzzo with a direct flight from overseas? The project could be more realistic than you might think now that Pescara International Airport has completed the extension of its runway. With the additional 400 metres, bringing the total length to 2,800 metres, the airport “will also be able to accommodate intercontinental flights,” explains SAGA the management company. “We are working on, it, discussing  with new airlines, with whom we are in constant contact to ensure a couple of iconic destinations.” The runway extension was also accompanied by an upgrade of the landing equipment, meaning increased safety.

One million one hundred thousand passengers

While awaiting further developments, Pescara International Airport is aiming for a new record-breaking season. Throughout the summer the airport will be connected to a record 24 domestic and international destinations. “These expectations are in addition to the results we achieved in 2025. Today we have an increasingly connected airport that has exceeded one million one hundred thousand passengers, recording a 35% growth in passenger numbers, and making it the leading airport in Italy (with more than one million passengers) for the largest increase in travellers compared to the previous year.”

Abruzzo National Park - credits: Saga

Abruzzo is the green heart of Europe

With an increase in destinations and frequencies during the winter season and planned for the upcoming summer, and the results achieved in 2025, "which have already taken us beyond the one million mark, the expectation for 2026 is to reach approximately 1.4 million passengers. The international segment accounts for 51% of total traffic. There is also a substantial balance between incoming and outgoing destinations which is important for tourism and the economic development of the entire region.” Abruzzo is “green heart of Europe” with three national parks  - Majella, Gran Sasso-Laga, Abruzzo-Lazio-Molise -  and one regional park, as well as a marine protected area and over 30 nature reserves.

credits: Saga

Pescara International Airport relies on low-cost airlines

Pescara International Airport “relies exclusively on low-cost airlines, Ryanair and Wizz Air as well as Luxair - with the Irish airline accounting for 89% of regional traffic. Since last year Ryanair has invested further in the airport, with a second aircraft based there, and increased destinations and frequencies, thanks to the Region's decision to abolish the municipal surcharge. This was a forward-looking choice which, by eliminating boarding fees for airlines, has made the airport much more attractive to other carriers. Wizz Air has also strengthened its presence, and we are confident that other airlines will also have a growing interest in operating at Pescara International Airport.”