#Ryanair CEO Tells #ElonMusk : 'Join the End of the Line'
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has responded to Elon Musk, saying that if he intends to buy the airline, he should "join the end of a very, very, very long line." This statement was made in response to Musk's 'jokey' poll about buying Ryanair.
Ryanair Will Not Install Starlink Wi-Fi
Ryanair has decided that it will not install Starlink Wi-Fi on its aircraft. The company says this would cause a 2% increase in fuel drag and annual costs would reach $200-250 million, which is not feasible for short European flights.
CFO Neil Sorahan said that on flights shorter than 2 hours, passengers do not want to pay for internet, preferring instead to watch movies pre-downloaded on their devices.
Billionaires' Spat
The public debate between Musk and O'Leary increased Ryanair's bookings by 2-3%. Musk also conducted a poll in which 76.5% of people supported buying Ryanair.
In response, O'Leary stated that non-EU citizens cannot hold a majority stake in European airlines, and that Musk should join the long line of people criticizing him.
Competitors Are Installing Starlink
Ryanair's stance is making it an outlier in the airline world:
Lufthansa Group: Installing Starlink on its 850 aircraft starting in 2026.
Qatar Airways: Has already equipped 60% of its fleet.
Emirates: Will cover its entire fleet by mid-2027.
Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus have also begun installations.
Ryanair's Performance is Good
Despite the lack of internet facilities, Ryanair has upgraded its 2026 forecast. The company now expects to carry 208 million passengers, and fares are also estimated to increase by more than 7% compared to last year.
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