Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary welcomes public feud with Elon Musk

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, has revealed that his ongoing public dispute with tech mogul Elon Musk has had a positive impact on the airline’s ticket sales. During a news conference in Dublin, O'Leary exclaimed, "It is very good for our bookings," while promoting a recent promotional campaign dubbed the "Big Idiot Seat Sale." The feud began earlier this year when O'Leary publicly rejected the idea of installing Starlink satellite Wi-Fi, a product of Musk's SpaceX, on Ryanair flights. He cited concerns about increased drag and subsequent fuel costs as the primary reasons for the decision. Musk responded on social media, claiming O'Leary was “misinformed” and asserted that the airline wouldn't be able to measure fuel consumption accurately. He went on to label O'Leary with derogatory terms. In a spirited reply during an interview with Newstalk, O'Leary did not shy away from criticizing Musk, calling him “very wealthy, but still an idiot.” He emphasized that Musk's understanding of aviation and drag is negligible. Despite the back-and-forth, O'Leary insisted that he took no offense from Musk’s remarks, humorously noting that being called names is a common occurrence for parents of teenagers. O'Leary elaborated on Ryanair's decision against adopting Starlink, revealing that the estimated annual costs for installation and operational expenses could reach between $200 million and $250 million, largely due to fuel inefficiencies created by the necessary equipment. He indicated that recovery of these costs through passenger fees would be impossible, as data shows that less than 10% of passengers are willing to pay for such services, despite Starlink claiming a much higher interest rate. The public spat has even led Musk to jokingly suggest purchasing Ryanair, questioning how much it would cost. O'Leary welcomed the idea, pointing out that non-EU citizens cannot own a majority stake in European airlines but expressed that Musk’s involvement could be a sound investment. He concluded his remarks by thanking Musk for the unexpected publicity boost.