"The exchange follows a disagreement over whether Europe's largest low-cost carrier should install Musk's Starlink satellite internet system across its fleet of more than 650 aircraft. O'Leary has repeatedly dismissed the idea, arguing that the required antennae and hardware would add unnecessary weight and drag, increasing fuel burn and operating costs. The spat turned personal last week, with O'Leary branding Musk "an idiot". Musk responded in kind, calling the Ryanair boss "an utter idiot"."
"Now Musk has added a further twist. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, he asked users to vote in a poll on whether he should "buy Ryan Air and restore Ryan as their rightful ruler", a reference to the airline's late founder, Tony Ryan. The post was viewed more than 30 million times, but any suggestion that investors were taking the idea seriously failed to materialise in the market."
"The original disagreement began when O'Leary was asked whether Ryanair would follow rivals such as Lufthansa and British Airways in adopting Starlink for onboard connectivity. O'Leary said he had no intention of doing so, claiming the installation would add up to $250 million in additional costs across the airline's fleet. While passengers might use inflight internet if it were free, he argued, they would be unwilling to pay even €1 for the service."
Elon Musk proposed buying Ryanair after a public spat with CEO Michael O'Leary over installing Starlink satellite internet across Ryanair's fleet. O'Leary argues the required antennae and hardware would add weight and drag, increasing fuel burn and raising costs by up to $250 million across the fleet. He also doubts passengers would pay for inflight internet, saying they would be unwilling to pay even €1. Musk used X to poll users about buying the airline and invoked founder Tony Ryan; the post drew over 30 million views but produced no sustained market reaction. Ryanair shares remained broadly flat.
Read at Business Matters
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