14th Oct 2025 09:09
(Alliance News) - easyJet PLC has caught the eye of Mediterranean Shipping Co, Italy's Corriere della Sera reported on Tuesday, with the sea transport firm mulling an investment or full control of the air carrier.
easyJet shares were 3.0% higher at 477.70 pence each in London on Tuesday morning, but had traded as high as 518.00p earlier.
The "easyJet dossier is landing on the desks of several individuals", the Italian daily reported. Among those is MSC, which is interested in investing or wholly acquiring it. MSC is working in tandem with an investment fund, Corriere said, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
"These are preliminary assessments. And it's not a given that the low-cost carrier's board will accept offers," Corriere added.
MSC also has looked at US low-cost airline Spirit Airlines Inc and Portuguese flag carrier TAP SA as alternatives, but easyJet is deemed more attractive, the newspaper said.
MSC back in 2022, alongside Deutsche Lufthansa, looked into acquiring Italy's ITA Airways Spa. Later that year, MSC ended its pursuit of ITA.
Lufthansa now owns 41% of ITA, with the remainder owned by the Italian state.
Corriere noted freight, logistics and shipping firms investing in airlines has become a trend in recent years, The largest shareholder in Lufthansa is Kuehne & Nagel International AG, with a 15% stake. CMA CGM owns 8.8% of Air France KLM SA, though the French and Dutch states have chunkier stakes of 28% and 9.1%, respectively.
TAP, meanwhile, will join a major peer "soon", Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
The chief executive of the carrier, whose possible suitors include Iberia-owner International Consolidated Airlines Group SA and Air France KLM, made the announcement at the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon.
"The days of proudly standing alone are over. There was a time when that was possible. Now, it's not," CEO Luis Rodrigues said, according to Bloomberg.
By Eric Cunha, Alliance News news editor
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