LOW-cost airline easyJet has moved closer to completing its takeover of rival Go after shareholders backed the proposed £374m deal.
As well as clearing the merger for take off, investors approved easyJet's plans for a £276.7m share rights issue to fund the deal.
The Luton airline expects the Go tie-up to be completed by the end of next month although passengers are unlikely to see any operational changes until the start of next summer.
One of the remaining hurdles facing easyJet is to achieve regulatory clearance in the UK and Spain for the takeover.
EasyJet should discover on July 9 the success of the rights issue, which will see shares offered to existing shareholders at a discounted 265p.
The company has underwritten the issue and intends to meet the remainder of the price tag through existing coffers.
EasyJet agreed the takeover of its Stansted rival with Go's parent company, venture capital firm 3i, last month.
It means easyJet will leapfrog Irish rival Ryanair to become Europe's biggest budget airline.
The enlarged easyJet group will have 63 planes compared with Ryanair's 44, with annual turnover of nearly £590m.
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