By Business News Correspondent
Maureen Iluobe
Elon Musk has ignited fresh speculation in the aviation industry after floating the idea of acquiring Ryanair, a move that comes amid a growing public confrontation with the airline’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary.
The billionaire entrepreneur raised eyebrows on Monday by asking users on his social media platform, X, whether he should buy the Irish low-cost carrier. The post quickly gained traction, drawing hundreds of thousands of responses and fuelling debate over whether the suggestion was serious or another of Musk’s online provocations.
Musk, whose SpaceX unit operates the Starlink satellite internet service, has recently ramped up criticism of Ryanair’s leadership after the airline dismissed plans to introduce Starlink-powered Wi-Fi across its fleet. He has openly questioned O’Leary’s suitability to lead the company, using sharp language that has added to the feud.
The dispute traces back to comments made by O’Leary during a radio interview in Ireland, where he rejected the idea of equipping Ryanair aircraft with satellite internet. He argued that the technology would drive up fuel costs due to added aircraft resistance and could cost the airline hundreds of millions of dollars annually. O’Leary also maintained that Ryanair passengers prioritise low fares over in-flight connectivity.
Never one to shy away from blunt remarks, the Ryanair boss dismissed Musk’s views on aviation as uninformed and criticised X as an unreliable platform for serious debate.
Despite the online sparring, the notion of Musk buying Ryanair faces formidable hurdles. The airline is valued at roughly €30 billion, and European aviation rules require EU carriers to remain under majority European ownership, making any takeover by a non-European investor legally complex.
Musk, who paid $44 billion to acquire Twitter in 2022 before renaming it X, has a history of turning social media musings into global headlines. Whether his Ryanair comments signal genuine interest or are simply another high-profile digital provocation remains uncertain.
