What's Going On With Elon Musk and Ryanair? Here's What You Need to Know

Source: CryptoNewsNet Original Title: What’s Going On With Elon Musk and Ryanair? Here’s What You Need to Know Original Link: https://cryptonews.net/news/other/32315750/ Elon Musk is in a public spat with Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, centered on bringing SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet to commercial airlines. The disagreement has escalated into a personal feud that reveals the friction between high-speed internet connectivity and the economics of low-cost flights.

The Core Issue

At the heart of the dispute is Starlink’s push to equip commercial aircraft with satellite internet. While Musk has successfully partnered with premium carriers like Qatar Airways and United Airlines, Ryanair—Europe’s largest budget carrier—has rejected the technology.

O’Leary confirmed that Ryanair would not install Starlink across its fleet of over 600 aircraft, citing economic concerns. “You need to put antenna on the fuselage. It comes with a 2% fuel penalty because of the weight and drag,” O’Leary told Reuters. He further questioned whether passengers on short one-hour European flights would be willing to pay for WiFi.

The Technical Disagreement

Musk disputed O’Leary’s analysis, arguing that the fuel impact was overstated and that Starlink’s technology was misunderstood. In posts on X, Musk suggested the drag increase would be negligible, particularly during the ascent phase, and claimed that Starlink would actually provide efficiency gains compared to other connectivity solutions.

After Musk questioned O’Leary’s understanding of aircraft performance, the Ryanair CEO dismissed Musk’s aviation expertise in return, stating: “Musk knows even less about airline ownership rules than he does about aircraft aerodynamics.”

Personal Escalation

The dispute quickly turned personal. Musk used offensive language to criticize O’Leary on social media. Rather than backing down, O’Leary embraced the attention, launching a “Big Idiot” fare promotion tied to the feud. The Ryanair CEO later acknowledged that the publicity helped boost bookings.

“He wouldn’t be the first, and he certainly won’t be the last to call me an idiot,” O’Leary said. “If it helps to boost Ryanair sales, you can insult me all day, every day.”

The Takeover Speculation

Musk humorously polled his followers about acquiring Ryanair and installing “an actual Ryan” as CEO, sparking lighthearted social media discussion about potential candidates like Ryan Reynolds.

However, O’Leary pointed out a legal reality: EU law forbids non-EU citizens from owning a controlling stake in a European carrier. “Non-European citizens cannot own a majority of European airlines,” he stated.

The Economics

O’Leary estimated that installation costs combined with increased fuel consumption would add approximately $200 million to $250 million annually across Ryanair’s fleet. He also noted that fewer than 10% of Ryanair customers would be willing to pay for onboard internet on short-haul European routes.

For now, the rejection suggests that for budget airlines, technical capability remains secondary to cost considerations. O’Leary did not entirely close the door on Starlink, however, stating: “If Starlink wants to fit the flights, fit our aircraft, and pay for the fuel drag, we’d happily put them on board. But the only way we see Starlink working on board our aircraft on short-haul flights is if you give it away for free.”