Ryanair's Michael O'Leary credits Elon Musk with "free PR" over their Starlink spat, saying the airline's refusal to install the satellite internet service on its fleet has sparked a surge of media attention.
The feud between O'Leary and Musk began when the Ryanair CEO stated that his airline had no plans to install Starlink due to concerns about fuel drag. However, Musk responded by calling out O'Leary as "misinformed", prompting a back-and-forth exchange between the two CEOs.
Despite initial doubts, the spat has proven to be a boon for Ryanair, with bookings rising by 2-3 percent during the feud. The airline's revenues increased by 9 percent year-over-year, while its profits fell 80 percent due to an antitrust fine.
O'Leary attributes this surge in interest to the fact that many people were unaware of Ryanair before being drawn into the controversy. He notes that, in reality, only a small percentage of passengers (around 5-10 percent) are willing to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi, making it unlikely to add significant revenue.
However, O'Leary is open to installing in-flight Wi-Fi once the costs come down, which he estimates will happen around 200 million euros per year. He believes that future systems will allow for antennas to be installed without adding drag or requiring holes to be drilled into aircraft.
As technology improves, O'Leary predicts that most airlines will eventually install Wi-Fi on short-haul flights, including Ryanair's fleet of 650 planes. While the airline may not be ready to adopt Starlink just yet, it seems that the controversy has had a lasting impact on its profile and reputation.
The feud between O'Leary and Musk began when the Ryanair CEO stated that his airline had no plans to install Starlink due to concerns about fuel drag. However, Musk responded by calling out O'Leary as "misinformed", prompting a back-and-forth exchange between the two CEOs.
Despite initial doubts, the spat has proven to be a boon for Ryanair, with bookings rising by 2-3 percent during the feud. The airline's revenues increased by 9 percent year-over-year, while its profits fell 80 percent due to an antitrust fine.
O'Leary attributes this surge in interest to the fact that many people were unaware of Ryanair before being drawn into the controversy. He notes that, in reality, only a small percentage of passengers (around 5-10 percent) are willing to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi, making it unlikely to add significant revenue.
However, O'Leary is open to installing in-flight Wi-Fi once the costs come down, which he estimates will happen around 200 million euros per year. He believes that future systems will allow for antennas to be installed without adding drag or requiring holes to be drilled into aircraft.
As technology improves, O'Leary predicts that most airlines will eventually install Wi-Fi on short-haul flights, including Ryanair's fleet of 650 planes. While the airline may not be ready to adopt Starlink just yet, it seems that the controversy has had a lasting impact on its profile and reputation.
... O'Leary makes some valid points tho, like only 5-10% of ppl pay for in-flight wifi lol what's the point? 
anyway, i think he's right that technology is getting better and cheaper by the day. I'd love to see ryanair get their act together and install wi-fi on all their planes 
️ but 200m euros a year is still a big ask... guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next 
I think this is so interesting! 
But what really gets me is how Michael O'Leary is trying to spin this as an opportunity. Like, he's open to installing in-flight Wi-Fi once the costs come down... but let's be real, isn't that just a way of saying "we're not ready for this yet"? 
Still, I guess it's good that they're thinking about the future and how technology is going to change the game. 
And who knows, maybe one day we'll see more airlines jumping on the in-flight Wi-Fi bandwagon! 
. I mean, who doesn't love a good controversy? It's like, if people weren't already skeptical about flying with them, now they're all like "oh wait, they're actually kinda cool?" 
And yeah, 5-10 percent of passengers paying for in-flight Wi-Fi is still pretty lowball, but at least it's better than nothing. O'Leary makes some valid points about the tech improving and becoming more cost-effective, but I think he's also underestimating how much people love complaining online 
, even tho he was initially all like 'we dont need starlink' 
, turns out the drama actually helped them get more attention 
and bookings went up by 2-3% 
! i mean, it makes sense that some people would be interested in flying with ryanair again after hearing about their stance on starlink 
. and yeah, o'leary's right that most airlines will probably start offering in-flight wifi soon too 
, maybe even before 2026 
.
. For me, it's all about perspective - we're so caught up in our own bubbles, we forget that everyone else has a different view on things. O'Leary was right to question the fuel drag thing, but maybe he didn't handle it the best way? That's what makes this whole situation so interesting... we get to see how people react when they're put out of their comfort zones 
. And in the end, who knows, maybe that 2-3% boost in bookings was exactly what Ryanair needed to shake things up a bit 
!
. and honestly, i'm kinda curious to see how things play out now that the dust has settled 