Ryanair Defies Musk’s Starlink Buyout Threat, Rejects In-Flight Internet on Short Hauls
Ryanair doubles down on its no-WiFi policy for flights under two hours—even as Elon Musk dangles a takeover carrot. The budget carrier's CEO dismissed Starlink integration as a 'solution searching for a problem,' arguing most passengers prefer scrolling pre-downloaded content over paying for spotty satellite links.
The Connectivity Standoff
While competitors race to advertise broadband in the sky, Ryanair calculates the economics differently. Installing and maintaining Starlink terminals cuts into razor-thin margins—and the airline bets passengers won't pay a premium for connectivity on quick hops between European capitals. Why offer internet when you can sell overpriced sandwiches instead?
Musk's Empty Threat?
The SpaceX founder's reported buyout suggestion looks more like theatrical negotiation than serious corporate maneuvering. Acquiring an airline to force-feed it satellite internet feels like using a flamethrower to light a cigar—spectacular, but wildly inefficient. Wall Street analysts yawned; the 'threat' moved Ryanair's stock less than a routine fuel price fluctuation.
Ryanair's gamble hinges on a simple premise: for short flights, offline is the new luxury. Passengers might complain, but they'll still book the €9.99 fare. Sometimes the most disruptive technology is knowing what not to install—even if it means telling the world's richest man to get lost.
The battle of the billionaires
Sorahan’s comments follow a highly publicized spat between Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary and Elon Musk over Starlink’s economics. The week-long exchange, where both called each other “idiots,” actually boosted Ryanair’s bookings by 2% to 3%, O’Leary said last week.
Musk escalated things by posting a poll asking whether he should buy Ryanair and “restore Ryan as their rightful ruler.” The poll’s final results show 76.5% voted YES while 23% said NO.
O’Leary shot back that non-EU citizens can’t own majority stakes in European airlines, and that Musk should “join the back of a very, very, very, very long queue” of people who’ve insulted him, including his “four teenage children.”
“It’s pretty much behind us at this point in time,” Sorahan said. “It was two big idiots having a bit of fun with each other.”
Ryanair’s position looks increasingly isolated
January 2026 saw a wave of major announcements.
Lufthansa Group is equipping all 850 aircraft across Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines with Starlink starting in the second half of 2026. That’s Europe’s largest deployment.
Alaska Airlines is ahead of schedule, with installations already operational on regional jets. Qatar Airways has equipped nearly 60% of its fleet. Emirates expects full coverage by mid-2027.
British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus will start installations in 2026.
Ryanair’s doing fine without it. The Irish carrier upgraded its fiscal 2026 guidance Monday thanks to strong demand and earlier-than-expected Boeing deliveries. It now expects traffic to grow 4% to almost 208 million passengers, up from a previous forecast of 207 million.
Fares are running ahead of last year too, with full-year growth now expected to exceed the previously guided 7% increase.
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