Overview
- At a Dublin news conference, Michael O’Leary shrugged off Elon Musk’s insults, touted a “Big Idiot Seat Sale,” and said the spat has lifted recent bookings.
- EU rules requiring majority EU ownership of airlines make control by the U.S.-based billionaire unlikely, though O’Leary said Musk is welcome to buy shares.
- Musk’s X poll on whether he should buy Ryanair drew roughly 900,000 votes with a majority in favor, but no formal offer has been made and market reaction has been limited.
- Ryanair reiterated its estimate that Starlink would add about 2% aerodynamic drag and $200–250 million a year in costs, a figure Musk disputes as far too high.
- O’Leary said the airline has talked with Starlink and other providers, including Amazon’s Kuiper, but will proceed only if onboard connectivity reduces overall costs.