LONDON—One of Europe’s biggest carriers rebuffed a takeover proposal by a smaller rival, in the first publicly disclosed attempt at significant consolidation in the pandemic-ravaged airline industry.
Hungary’s Wizz Air Holdings PLC, a budget carrier that has tried to boost its market share during the pandemic, approached U.K.-based easyJet PLC with a plan to combine operations, according to people familiar with the matter. EasyJet disclosed the approach Thursday, but didn’t name the suitor, and said the bid under valued the airline. Wizz Air declined to comment.
