Finance
Loveholidays to postpone $1.3 billion London IPO due to gulf travel chaos, FT reports
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 3, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 3, 2026
Quick Summary
Loveholidays is reportedly planning to delay its anticipated £1 billion London IPO, originally slated for early March, due to market volatility and travel disruptions triggered by Iran’s retaliation to U.S. and Israeli strikes, following widespread flight cancellations across Gulf hubs.
Loveholidays to postpone $1.3 billion London IPO due to Gulf travel chaos, FT reports
Loveholidays IPO Delay and Market Impact
Background and Reasons for Delay
March 3 (Reuters) - Online travel agent Loveholidays is preparing to delay its London Stock Exchange flotation amid market turmoil and travel chaos caused by Iran's retaliation after U.S. and Israeli strikes, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
Expected Valuation and Timing
The company had been expected to announce its intention to float in early March, targeting a valuation of up to 1 billion pounds ($1.33 billion), but is now discussing a possible delay, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Potential New Timeline
The firm could now target the period for its listing following the travel-heavy Easter holiday, according to the report.
Loveholidays declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
Broader Market Implications
Setback for London Stock Exchange
The potential delay could mark a setback for the London Stock Exchange's efforts to attract major flotations after years of lackluster IPO activity.
Impact on Travel and Airline Stocks
Shares of tour operators and travel agents have seen sharp declines since February 27, with the UK's On The Beach down 7%, Jet2 falling 6.1% and Germany's TUI dropping 11.4%.
European airline stocks also tumbled on Tuesday, with Wizz Air, British Airways-owner IAG, Lufthansa and Air France KLM falling between 5% and 8% as carriers grappled with surging fuel prices and passengers scrambled to rebook flights amid Middle East travel disruptions.
Additional Information
($1 = 0.7509 pounds)
(Reporting by DhanushVignesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)
Key Takeaways
- •Loveholidays, owned by Livingbridge and serving 4.7 million customers in 2025, is reconsidering its early‑March IPO launch amid sector sell‑off and aviation turmoil.
- •Flight cancellations exceed 4,000 globally with major Gulf hubs like Dubai and Doha shut, causing sharp declines in travel and airline stocks.
- •The delay reflects both Loveholidays’ caution and potential setbacks for the London Stock Exchange in revitalising IPO momentum.
Frequently Asked Questions about Loveholidays to postpone $1.3 billion London IPO due to Gulf travel chaos, FT reports
1Why is Loveholidays postponing its London IPO?
Loveholidays is delaying its IPO due to market turmoil and travel chaos following Iran's retaliation after US and Israeli strikes.
2What was the expected valuation of Loveholidays' IPO?
The expected valuation for Loveholidays’ IPO was up to 1 billion pounds, or approximately $1.33 billion.
3Which recent events have affected Loveholidays' IPO plans?
Iran's retaliation after US and Israeli strikes and the resulting Gulf travel chaos impacted Loveholidays' IPO schedule.
4Where was Loveholidays planning to list its shares?
Loveholidays was planning to float its shares on the London Stock Exchange.
