Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has publicly called Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk an ‘idiot’. O’Leary’s remarks came after Europe’s biggest airline service dismissed rumours of equipping its flights with Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service. In an interview on the radio show Newstalk, O’Leary said,“I would pay no attention whatsoever to Elon Musk. He’s an idiot, very wealthy, but he’s still an idiot.”Responding to O’Leary’s comments, Musk took to the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) and wrote: “Ryanair CEO is an utter idiot. Fire him.”
Recently, Ryanair said that the added drag from the antenna, along with its short flight durations, would increase fuel costs, prompting the airline to rule out introducing Starlink internet service on its flights. In a statement to Reuters, O’Leary said, “You need to put an antenna on the fuselage; it comes with a 2% fuel penalty because of the weight and drag. We don’t think our passengers are willing to pay for WiFi for an average 1-hour flight.”His comments started a debate on the X. Musk said in an earlier post, “They [Ryanair] will lose customers to airlines that do have internet.”
What the Ryanair CEO said about rejecting Starlink on its flights
Replying to Musk’s comments, O’Leary said, “What Elon Musk knows about flights and drag would be zero. We have to put an aerial antenna on top of the aircraft. It would cost us about $200-$250 million a year. In other words, an extra dollar for every passenger we fly. And the reality for us is we can’t afford those costs. Passengers won’t pay for internet or internet usage. If it’s free, they’ll use it. But they won’t pay one euro each to use the internet. So, we’re not putting it on board. And I frankly wouldn’t pay any attention to anything that Elon Musk puts on that cesspit of his called X. He was the guy who advocated getting Donald Trump elected.”Explaining why he’s not on social media sites like X, O’Leary said: “No, I would not waste…I don’t have any social media accounts. Thankfully, I am too old to get involved in the cesspit that is social media.”Musk’s satellite internet provider is becoming more popular among airlines. Lufthansa, the German flag carrier that runs Europe’s second-largest airline group, announced earlier this week that it would introduce the service. The next day, Scandinavian Airlines operated its first Starlink-enabled flight. However, as a budget airline, Ryanair is known for its basic, low-cost offering.Ryanair and its subsidiaries operate a fleet of 643 airplanes, which handled 206 million passengers last year. 2024’s statistics showed that it was the world’s third-largest airline group, behind American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.The Irish airline’s low-cost business model allows it to offer tickets as low as 15 euros, or about $17.40. It focuses on quick turnarounds between flights, charging for extras like sitting next to your friends, and on-board sales, including scratchcards and duty-free cigarettes.Every airline that’s announced Starlink deals so far has included free in-flight internet for everyone on board. So, even if O’Leary changed his mind, it seems unlikely that Musk’s company would let him charge Ryanair passengers to use Starlink.Michael Nicolls, the VP of Starlink engineering, said in an X post that Starlink terminals have a more fuel-efficient profile than those of other aeroplane internet providers. He added that SpaceX’s analysis showed a Starlink terminal instead increased fuel costs by 0.3% on a Boeing 737-800, the model that makes up most of Ryanair’s fleet.“Hmm, must be a way to get that down under 0.1%,” Musk replied to him.While US budget airlines have recently changed to offer more premium options under intense financial pressures, Ryanair has little reason to do so. Adding an amenity like Starlink would conflict with its business model, especially if it were offered free to passengers.After the COVID-19 pandemic, more American travellers have been paying extra for more luxurious flights. Budget airlines have also struggled to compete on price with traditional carriers. However, in Europe, Ryanair has managed to balance a basic approach with financial success.
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