Air France‑KLM targets passenger comeback as easyJet acquisition moves forward

Air France‑KLM is preparing to win back passengers who switched to British low‑cost carrier easyJet while the airline’s £5.7 billion takeover is finalised. CEO Ben Smith told the Financial Times the group can recapture lost customers by offering a comparable low‑cost product, saying, “We are confident we can win back the passengers we lost because we now have a service that can compete on price.”

The acquisition, in which private‑equity firm Apollo Global Management has outbid Castlelake with an offer of £7.15 per share versus £6.90, is expected to take several months and could create market turbulence. Air France‑KLM sees this as an opportunity to regain market share from easyJet, which has attracted a large number of its former customers.

Both airlines operate across Europe, with Air France‑KLM based in France and the Netherlands and easyJet headquartered in the United Kingdom. The deal’s outcome will shape competition in the European low‑cost segment.