EasyJet aligns Apollo and Castlelake deadlines as bidding war nears climax

Aug 3 (Reuters) - EasyJet on Monday extended the deadline for suitor Castlelake to decide whether to make a firm takeover offer, bringing it into line with the deadline facing Apollo as the bidding war for the budget carrier enters a decisive week.

Here are some details:

• The UK Takeover Panel consented to an extension of Castlelake's "put up or shut up" deadline to August 7 from August 3, matching Apollo's existing deadline.

• EasyJet said it has been providing diligence access to both Apollo and Castlelake since the last proposal was made.

• EasyJet backed a £5.7 billion ($7.68 billion) takeover bid tabled by Apollo Global Management in July, which trumped an earlier £5.5 billion bid by Castlelake.

• The bidding war for easyJet possibly heads into its final stretch this week, with unresolved questions over ownership structures and investor exit options clouding the path to a deal.

• The budget carrier's profit plummeted 70% in the third quarter, it reported late in July, as the Iran war led to volatile fuel prices and made travellers wary, though the airline indicated clearer skies heading into peak summer.

($1 = 0.7422 pounds)

(Reporting by Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Subhranshu Sahu)