- Michael O’Leary expressed confusion over Elon Musk’s umbrage at his rationale for not adopting Starlink on Ryanair flights.
- He confirmed no direct contact with Musk, describing him as someone who rants on X, with Ryanair ready to reply accordingly.
- Discussions with Starlink occurred, but costs prove unaffordable, including €250 million annually for installation.
- Fuel bills could increase by €100-200 million from antenna drag, with under 10 per cent of passengers likely to pay for the service.
- O’Leary would welcome Musk as an investor, though EU rules bar a controlling stake, and he views social media like X as a cesspit.
Ryanair group chief executive Michael O’Leary has said he does not understand why Elon Musk took umbrage at his remarks on the cost of Starlink technology.
Mr O’Leary has outlined once more his reasons for declining the Starlink internet service on flights. He revealed that he viewed his cost-based explanation as a balanced reply, with no personal communication occurring between them.
O’Leary described Musk as prone to outbursts on X, to which the airline responds similarly. He confirmed that discussions with Starlink have taken place, though the financial burden proves too heavy for Ryanair to bear alone. He estimates that fewer than 10pc of Ryanair passengers would opt to pay for the access.
The technology receives praise from O’Leary as an effective system, yet the annual installation expense reaches around €250m across the fleet. He cited Boeing data that fuel costs could rise by €100-200m due to aerodynamic resistance from roof-mounted antennae on aircraft cabins.
EU regulations on ownership prevent Musk from securing a majority or controlling interest. O’Leary recently conveyed his distaste for social media platforms, labelling X as a cesspit in particular.
Michael O’Leary shared “I do not understand why Elon Musk has taken such ‘umbrage’ to my rationale for not using the Starlink internet service on Ryanair flights. I thought my explanation about the costs of such a move for the airline ‘was a reasonably measured response’.
I have had no direct contact with Elon Musk, who I described as someone who ‘rants and raves on X’ and to whom Ryanair is very happy to respond in kind. If he wants to call me an idiot, he certainly won’t be the first or the last. The airline has been in talks with Starlink, which is owned by Elon Musk, but the airline ‘can’t afford to shoulder the bill’ for the onboard wi-fi service.
The technology is ‘a terrific system that works very well,’ but installing it on Ryanair planes would cost around €250m a year. The airline’s fuel bill alone would increase by €100-200m, due to the drag caused by the antennae mounted on the roof of the planes’ cabins. I believe less than 10pc of passengers would pay to access this service.
I would welcome Elon Musk as an investor, as the airline welcomes all shareholders. If the tech mogul wants to invest, ‘we would think it’s a very good investment’. Given the strict EU rules on airline ownership, Elon Musk cannot buy or acquire a majority or controlling stake in the airline.
