Ryanair considers embracing Starlink as a wifi option for its flights despite CEO O'Leary's public feud with Elon Musk.
In a surprising move, Ryanair's finance chief Neil Sorahan stated that the airline would be open to using SpaceX's Starlink wifi technology in the future, provided it meets certain criteria. This comes amid a heated exchange between Ryanair's Michael O'Leary and Musk, who had previously rejected the idea of installing Starlink on his fleet.
O'Leary had cited concerns over the added cost, stating that incorporating antennas to the jets would result in a 2% fuel drag, adding approximately $200-250m to its annual kerosene bill. However, Sorahan seems to have taken a more pragmatic approach, suggesting that Ryanair will consider any viable wifi option when it's available.
The spat between O'Leary and Musk has had an unexpected consequence for Ryanair – increased bookings. The airline reportedly saw a 2-3% increase in bookings after launching a "big idiot sale" campaign poking fun at Musk, estimated to be worth $788bn by Forbes.
Despite the growing interest in in-flight wifi, Sorahan noted that it's still a long way off for Ryanair. He attributed the fuel cost as the main barrier to adoption and expressed his own interest in exploring wifi options since joining the airline in 2003.
However, with concerns about passenger willingness to pay for wifi on short-haul flights, it remains to be seen whether Starlink or other technologies will become a viable option for Ryanair.
In a surprising move, Ryanair's finance chief Neil Sorahan stated that the airline would be open to using SpaceX's Starlink wifi technology in the future, provided it meets certain criteria. This comes amid a heated exchange between Ryanair's Michael O'Leary and Musk, who had previously rejected the idea of installing Starlink on his fleet.
O'Leary had cited concerns over the added cost, stating that incorporating antennas to the jets would result in a 2% fuel drag, adding approximately $200-250m to its annual kerosene bill. However, Sorahan seems to have taken a more pragmatic approach, suggesting that Ryanair will consider any viable wifi option when it's available.
The spat between O'Leary and Musk has had an unexpected consequence for Ryanair – increased bookings. The airline reportedly saw a 2-3% increase in bookings after launching a "big idiot sale" campaign poking fun at Musk, estimated to be worth $788bn by Forbes.
Despite the growing interest in in-flight wifi, Sorahan noted that it's still a long way off for Ryanair. He attributed the fuel cost as the main barrier to adoption and expressed his own interest in exploring wifi options since joining the airline in 2003.
However, with concerns about passenger willingness to pay for wifi on short-haul flights, it remains to be seen whether Starlink or other technologies will become a viable option for Ryanair.
. It's like they're trying to outdo each other in a big game of airline wifi poker 
. Meanwhile, Sorahan is over here being all practical and pragmatic about it 
. He's acknowledging that the fuel cost thing is a legit concern, but also not entirely dismissive of the idea.
. The whole "big idiot sale" campaign was genius 
, btw – who wouldn't want to book a flight just to troll Musk? 
It's like they're trying to normalize wifi on short-haul flights or something. And if Ryanair can make it work, it could be huge for the airline industry 
. With the rise of streaming and social media, people want to stay connected on their flights – especially on shorter routes where you can't just get a signal at home 
. So, even if it takes some time for Ryanair to figure out Starlink or whatever, I think we'll see wifi become more mainstream in aviation 
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I mean, who wouldn't want wifi on a plane?! 
And now, Neil Sorahan is being super practical about it, looking at all the options. It shows that even when things seem impossible, people can still find ways to make them work! 
I'm excited to see what happens next – maybe we'll get to fly with wifi soon! 
But, you know, if it means having internet access on flights that'd be super convenient for students who want to get their homework done during the flight 
would love to see them make it happen tho!
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And $200-250m is a pretty big chunk of change for something that could bring in an extra 2-3% increase in bookings. Starlink might not be perfect, but it's definitely worth exploring further 
! But if it means more bookings and cash, who cares right? The "big idiot sale" thing was hilarious btw 
i think ryanair is being super smart by considering starlink 
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️. Now, I hear Ryanair is even considering this Starlink thingy... 2% fuel drag, that's just too much! Can't they see we're trying to save fuel and reduce our carbon footprint here? And what's with the added cost, $200-250m? That's like a small country 
It's just a bunch of cheap tactics to distract from the real issue: how much it costs to make wifi work on planes! 
And let's not forget, most people are already paying an arm and a leg just to sit in the back row on a plane! 
