Why did Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) submit a takeover bid for Webjet (ASX:WEB)?

Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) submitted the takeover offer to acquire Webjet (ASX:WEB) and capture operational synergies, combining its own $3 billion annual booking capacity with Webjet's (ASX:WEB) $1.4 billion booking volume.

What are the specific financial details of the rejected Webjet (ASX:WEB) takeover offers?

Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) initially submitted an unannounced takeover bid of $1 per share for Webjet (ASX:WEB) in September last year before later submitting a disclosed bid of $0.90 per share, alongside a competing $0.91 per share proposal from BGH Capital and Ariadne Investments.

How is Webjet (ASX:WEB) managing its current board composition and leadership structure?

Webjet (ASX:WEB) appointed Gary Weiss as interim chairman to replace Don Clarke, while resisting requests from Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) to grant board seats to chief executive Andrew Burnes and chief operating officer Cinzia Burnes.

What does the recent financial performance mean for the cash balance of Webjet (ASX:WEB)?

Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) estimates that the accessible cash balance at Webjet (ASX:WEB) has declined from $112 million down to approximately $50 million once booking funds are excluded.

How did the share prices of Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) and Webjet (ASX:WEB) react to the announcement?

Following the disclosure of the unannounced bid, the share price of Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) rose 0.3% to $1.48, while shares in Webjet (ASX:WEB) remained unchanged at $0.40.

Image for illustrative purposes only. Not a real photo.

Helloworld details unannounced takeover offer for Webjet

Written by Isaac FrancisPublished Jul 22, 2026, 10:30 PM

Helloworld Travel revealed it previously submitted an undisclosed $1 per share takeover bid for Webjet.
Following the disclosure, Helloworld Travel shares rose 0.3% to $0.40.
Helloworld Travel continues to pursue board seats and potential ownership, citing operational synergies across both travel groups.

Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) CEO Andrew Burnes disclosed that rival travel agency Webjet (ASX:WEB) failed to respond to an unannounced $1 per share takeover proposal submitted last September.

The undisclosed offer preceded lower bids from Helloworld, which offered $0.91 per share.

"After we had given them an offer for $1, we never even heard back," said Helloworld CEO Andrew Burnes.

A Webjet spokeswoman stated that the company follows due process in assessing all proposals and complies with its continuous disclosure requirements under market rules.

Helloworld holds a 20.1% stake in Webjet and is seeking two board seats, while Webjet estimates its accessible cash balance has declined from $50 million.

Following the announcement, the Webjet share price was unchanged at $0.40.

Webjet demerged from its former parent entity in September 2024 and currently manages approximately $1.4 billion in annual hotel and airline bookings.

Helloworld processes $3 billion in annual bookings and maintains significant market share in high-end international travel services.

Helloworld details unannounced takeover offer for Webjet

Frequently asked questions

Assets related to this article