Why is Elon Musk looking to buy Irish low-cost airline Ryanair?

Key Highlights

• File Image/ReutersElon Musk’s public clash with Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary over in-flight Wi-Fi has evolved into a viral spectacle — and possibly more. What began as a disagreement about installing Starlink internet systems on Ryanair aircraft has turned into a social-media feud, complete with insults, polls, and Musk openly flirting with the idea of buying Europe’s biggest low-cost airline. What sparked the feud?The controversy began when O’Leary ruled out installing SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet on Ryanair’s fleet of over 600 aircraft.
• His reasoning focused on fuel efficiency and operating costs, particularly for short-haul budget flights.“You need to put antenna on fuselage it comes with a 2 per cent fuel penalty because of the weight and drag.
• We don’t think our passengers are willing to pay for WiFi for an average 1-hour flight,” Ryanair CEO told news agency Reuters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADO’Leary later expanded on the financial impact, estimating that Starlink would cost the airline between $200 million and $250 million annually — roughly an extra dollar per passenger. More from Explainers Musk vs OpenAI: Trial scheduled to begin on April 27 Women groups press Apple, Google to drop Grok, X from app stores over nude deepfakes of children“What Elon Musk knows about flights and drag would be zero.
• We have to put an aerial antenna on top of the aircraft.
• It would cost us about $200-$250 million a year.