Is easyJet for sale? Rumours grow about possible bid from shipping giant MSC

Shares in European low-cost carrier easyJet have risen by as much as 12% after rumors started circulating about a possible offer from global shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The Swiss-based transportation and logistics firm was said to be considering either a full or partial takeover of the airline, according to reports in the Italian media.

Founded by Greek Cypriot Stelios Haji-Ioannou in 1995 and about to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its first flight in November 2025, easyJet has expanded over the past three decades to become Europe’s second-largest low-cost airline after the Ryanair Group of companies and placed ahead of Wizz Air.

As reported by the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera on October 14, 2025, sources close to the negotiations said that MSC was evaluating a potential takeover of easyJet. The MSC Group of companies is a multinational conglomerate with offices in 155 countries. Geneva-based MSC Group denied “any involvement in this matter”, while easyJet has declined to comment on speculation.

Rene Cortin / Wikimedia CommonsThe Group is a privately owned company controlled by the wealthy Italian Aponte family and has a fleet of 600 cargo and passenger vessels and employs around 100,000 people across the Group. MSC is probably best known in the public eye through its MSC Cruise division.

MSC has a previous history with airlines

If the stories surrounding the Group’s interest in easyJet are true, then it would not be the first time that MSC has shown an interest in an airline. In 2022, MSC entered into discussions with Germany’s Lufthansa Group to propose buying Italy’s national carrier ITA Airways, the reborn airline from the ashes of the defunct Alitalia. However, MSC pulled out of the bidding process, leaving the Lufthansa Group to complete the takeover deal on its own after a lengthy EU scrutiny.

The Corriere Della Sera report suggested MSC could jointly bid with an investment fund for either a stake or full control of the airline, but that evaluations were preliminary.

While easyJet has become a formidable force in the low-cost arena, some analysts have raised concerns about its long-term profitability and potential for future growth in the increasingly crowded European budget airline scene.

Markus Mainka / ShutterstockFollowing the report in Corriere Della Sera, shares in EasyJet jumped on the London Stock Exchange, where the airline company has its shares listed. The rise boosted trading volume and raised the airline’s market value to around £3.6 billion (US$4.8 billion).

Despite this, MSC was quick to distance itself from the rumors that a potential takeover bid was being worked on. According to a statement sent to news sites in Europe, there are no plans to integrate air operations into the group’s transportation portfolio, despite recent initiatives in other logistical sectors.

However, it was the same Italian publication that first announced the MSC/Lufthansa Group tie-up for ITA Airways before that deal fell apart.

Could easyJet really be for sale?

It was the same Italian newspaper that recently ran an interview with the Chairman of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, in which the boss of the Irish carrier publicly questioned EasyJet’s long-term viability. O’Leary suggested that easyJet was struggling to grow, which would eventually lead to it being broken up into chunks, with different airline groups acquiring operations in the various countries it serves.

Analysts have speculated in the past that easyJet could become a takeover target in the past, with slot constraints restricting growth at Europe’s primary airports. It has been speculated that British Airways might one day acquire EasyJet’s operations at London Gatwick, while the Air France-KLM Group would take over EasyJet’s businesses in France and Switzerland.

Andrei Filippov / ShutterstockAs for what might happen to easyJet’s significant operations in Italy, O’Leary did not comment, although that might be where MSC comes into play. Experts emphasize that any acquisition would require regulatory compensation in multiple markets, given easyJet’s relevance on strategic routes and airports. This issue is expected to remain on the radar of European investors and regulators going forward.

EasyJet told investors in May 2025 it was on track to achieve more than £1bn in pre-tax profit over the medium term. In 2024, the airline made £602m in pre-tax profit on £9.3bn in revenue.

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