Ryanair CEO renews beef with Elon Musk: ‘Annoy him again, so much the better’ over Starlink

Talks stall over passenger demand

Speaking on an earnings call Monday, O’Leary said Ryanair had extensive discussions with Starlink. He said the company was willing to cover the cost of installing WiFi terminals on the airline’s planes.

O’Leary said the talks broke down because Starlink expected 60% of Ryanair passengers to pay for WiFi. He responded that Starlink had never met a Ryanair passenger, using profanity during the call.

O’Leary rejects reconciliation

After the call, O’Leary told Bloomberg TV he had no intention of making up with Musk. He said Musk considers him an idiot and that he views Musk the same way.

Budget model shapes WiFi debate

Ryanair’s no-frills business model centers on running many flights and offering cheap fares, while charging for virtually everything else. Starlink’s high-speed service is generally free to passengers who sign up for an airline’s loyalty program.

Dispute dates back to January

O’Leary and Musk first clashed in January after O’Leary made a similar remark. Musk argued that Ryanair would lose customers to airlines offering Starlink. Ryanair used the publicity to promote a “Big ‘Idiot’ Sale,” offering 100,000 tickets starting at £16.99, or about $23.