Ryanair Boss Dismisses Musk’s Buyout as Starlink Feud Escalates

The disagreement began after Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said the airline would not move forward with installing Starlink satellite Wi-Fi because of the additional fuel costs linked to the system’s external antennas, according to a statement he made last week in media interviews. The comments sparked a sharp reaction from Musk, who accused O’Leary of being “misinformed” about the technology.

O’Leary responded on Irish radio by saying, “I would pay no attention whatsoever to Elon Musk, he’s an idiot.” Musk then replied on his social media platform X, calling the airline boss an “utter idiot” and an “imbecile.” He also floated the idea of buying the airline, writing, “Should I buy Ryan Air and put someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge?” and launched a poll asking users whether he should pursue a takeover.

The poll showed strong support for the idea, with more than three-quarters of respondents voting yes. However, O’Leary said the proposal is unrealistic because European Union rules limit ownership of airlines by non-European citizens. Musk, who was born in South Africa and now lives in the United States, would not be able to control a majority stake in the carrier, according to a statement O’Leary made to reporters in Dublin.

While dismissing the prospect of a takeover, O’Leary said Ryanair would still welcome Musk as an investor. “But if he wants to invest in Ryanair, we would think it’s a very good investment. Certainly a significantly better investment than the financial returns he’s earning on X,” he said.

Musk acquired X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2022 for $44 billion following a series of clashes with company leadership.

Related: Europe’s Aerospace Leaders Unite to Build Rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink

O’Leary, who has built a reputation for provocative remarks, said he was unfazed by Musk’s comments and even thanked him for the attention. Ryanair has used the publicity to promote a new seat sale, releasing marketing material that includes a caricature of the billionaire, per a statement from the airline’s leadership in recent interviews.

“All I would say to Elon Musk is he would have to join the back of a very, very, very, very long queue of people” who have insulted him, “including my four teenage children,” O’Leary added.

Despite the dispute, O’Leary said Ryanair has spent about a year in talks with Starlink about providing onboard connectivity. “We like the Starlink system. It is a terrific system. It works very well,” he said, but explained that the financial impact would be too great. He estimated the total annual cost at roughly $250 million, including installation of two antennas on each aircraft and an additional 2% in aerodynamic drag that would increase fuel expenses by about $200 million.

O’Leary also said the airline would need to charge passengers for the service, but expected that fewer than 5% of customers would be willing to pay for internet access on Ryanair’s short-haul flights, which average just over an hour.

The company is continuing discussions with other providers, including Amazon’s upcoming Kuiper satellite network, but only if any agreement can reduce overall costs, according to a statement from O’Leary.

He also commented on criticism surrounding Musk’s AI chatbot Grok, which is available through X and has been linked to the creation of nonconsensual deepfake images. “Social media, X in particular is, a cesspit,” O’Leary said. “The most recent controversy with, you know, undressing children or undressing women is frankly offensive.”

Source: Court House News