Musk and Ryanair’s O’Leary trade insults in escalating Starlink spat

Investing.com -- Elon Musk further escalated his public dispute with Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary on Friday, calling him an "utter idiot" who should be fired, after the airline executive ruled out installing Starlink internet service on Ryanair aircraft.

The conflict began on Wednesday when O’Leary dismissed the possibility of equipping any of Ryanair’s fleet of more than 600 jets with Musk’s satellite internet service. The airline CEO cited concerns about fuel costs from drag caused by the antenna and estimated the service would cost Ryanair up to $250 million annually.

Musk initially responded on his social media platform X that O’Leary was "misinformed" and claimed Ryanair did not know how to properly measure the fuel impact of Starlink equipment.

The dispute intensified when O’Leary told Irish radio station Newstalk that Musk knew "zero" about aviation and drag, calling the U.S. billionaire an "idiot" and describing X as a "cesspit."

On Friday, Musk, whose company SpaceX operates Starlink, posted on X: "Ryanair CEO is an utter idiot. Fire him." When a follower suggested Musk should purchase Ryanair and dismiss O’Leary himself, Musk replied: "Good idea."

Airlines have become an increasingly important customer segment for Starlink, with more than two dozen carriers, including United Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Lufthansa, implementing the service across their fleets.

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