Musk vs. O’Leary: Explosive Clash Over Starlink on Ryanair Flights

For aviation enthusiasts, this fiery public feud between Elon Musk (SpaceX/Starlink) and Michael O’Leary (Ryanair CEO) is one of the most entertaining—and revealing—industry spats of early 2026. It underscores the ongoing tension between cutting-edge satellite tech and the ruthless economics of ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs).

It all started on January 14, 2026, when O’Leary told Reuters that Ryanair has zero plans to install Starlink on its fleet of over 600 Boeing 737s. Key reasons: The external antenna adds drag and weight (claimed ~2% fuel burn penalty), potentially costing $200–250 million yearly (roughly €1 extra per passenger), and Ryanair’s average flight is just ~1 hour—passengers won’t pay for Wi-Fi in a no-frills model focused on rock-bottom fares.

Musk didn’t hold back. On X (January 15–16), he called O’Leary “misinformed,” cited Starlink VP Michael Nicolls’ data showing only ~0.3% fuel impact on 737-800 tests (due to low-profile terminals), branded O’Leary an “utter idiot” who should be “fired,” and even joked about buying Ryanair outright (“Good idea” when fans suggested it, plus quips about putting “someone named Ryan” in charge).

O’Leary fired back in a Newstalk radio interview: Musk knows “zero” about drag or aviation, called him an “idiot” (wealthy or not), dismissed X as a “cesspit,” and said he’d ignore him completely. Ryanair’s social team piled on during an X outage: “perhaps you need Wi-Fi @elonmusk?”

No partnership is happening—Ryanair doubles down on cost control, while Starlink thrives with partners like Lufthansa, United, Qatar, SAS, and others rolling out free high-speed connectivity. This highlights a bigger 2026 debate: As in-flight Wi-Fi becomes standard (and often free) on longer routes, will short-haul budget flyers demand it too, or will ULCCs like Ryanair stick to basics and risk losing edge to competitors?

The verbal fireworks continue—no serious buyout talk (Ryanair’s valuation is massive), but it spotlights how passenger expectations for connectivity are evolving fast.