Ryanair boss: Musk is ‘idiot’, no plans yet to install Starlink on airline's planes

A feud over WiFi on Ryanair planes shows no signs of détente, with the airline’s CEO Michael O’Leary once again calling Starlink counterpart Elon Musk “an idiot.” 

The comments come as negotiations to equip the Ryanair fleet with internet capability continue to falter.

Mr O’Leary made the comments during an interview with Bloomberg on Monday, reigniting the war of words between the two famously inflammatory CEOs. 

“I have no intention of reconciling with [Mr Musk],” he said. 

“He thinks I’m an idiot. I know that he’s an idiot.”

Mr O’Leary was invited to give an interview following the airline’s half-yearly results. 

What is spat over? 

Disagreements began at the start of the year, when Starlink – a satellite service provided under the umbrella of Mr Musk's SpaceX company – looked to expand its WiFi service across several airlines. 

Flag carriers such as Air France had already begun using Starlink to offer passengers WiFi during flights but Mr Musk wanted to expand this to other airlines, including low-cost alternatives.

While carriers such as easyJet, Lufthansa and Wizz Air have jumped at the chance, and the first easyJet planes will be equipped with WiFi capabilities will go airborne in 2027, Ryanair refused the offer.

Mr O’Leary said this was down to economic factors, as the antennas needed to connect passengers would increase fuel consumption without any increase in revenue for the company.

The spat led to Mr O’Leary calling his counterpart “an idiot,” and launching a 100,000-seat sale dubbed ‘the big idiot sale’.

He estimates the spat resulted in between $30 million - $40 million of free advertising for the airline (not direct ticket sales but through exposure). 

In turn, Mr Musk publicly called for Mr O’Leary to be fired, and provocatively suggested he was considering buying Ryanair to oust the current CEO. 

Despite the war of words, Mr O’Leary does see the merits of the system, but believes that current economic conditions are not ripe for its expansion in the Ryanair fleet. 

Initial negotiations between the two companies were promising, with Starlink offering to cover the installation costs if the airline introduced a paid subscription system for WiFi on flights, and Starlink in turn took a cut.

Starlink estimated that 60% of Ryanair passengers would pay for WiFi, a prediction Mr O’Leary strongly disagreed with.

“I think if it’s free, some of our passengers will use it. If they have to pay, there is no revenue model,” he said to investors about the rejection.

There may still be room for compromise, however, with Ryanair reportedly still open to the possibility of using Starlink provided it does not come with additional operating or installation costs.

Potential ideas floated include different locations to install the WiFi antenna to reduce aerodynamic drag. 

Until this issue is resolved, however, WiFi is unlikely to come to Ryanair seats.

Jet fuel concerns persist

Looking into next year, concerns about increased fuel costs are also playing their part.

“Starlink is a very good system, but the technology leads to a 1.5% increase in fuel consumption due to aerodynamic drag,” said Mr O’Leary. 

“With jet fuel at $170 a barrel, the last thing I want to do is install a system that increases fuel consumption by 1.5%.” 

Ryanair is one of several airlines nervously looking ahead to the summer 2027 schedule, fearing an explosion in fuel costs. 

Many contracts of ‘hedged’ jet fuel – where prices are locked-in at a certain rate regardless of market fluctuation – are set to end by April 2027, not just for Ryanair but several airlines. 

Carriers would then be faced with market rates for the fuel, in some cases more than double the cost per barrel of current contracts, leading to a spike in expenses. 

Mr O’Leary has previously predicted a hike in air fares next year across the European sector. 

Ryanair has hedged 20% of its fuel for the 2028 financial year (April 2027 - March 2028), at a cost of $95 per barrel.