Ryanair's O'Leary Rejects Musk's Starlink, Responds to Insults
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 21 2026
0mins
Should l Buy RYAAY?
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Starlink Rejection: Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary stated that despite over 12 months of discussions with Musk's Starlink, the airline cannot afford the annual costs of $150 million to $250 million due to less than 10% of passengers willing to pay for Wi-Fi access.
- Public Spat Escalation: Following O'Leary's rejection of Starlink, Musk labeled him an 'utter idiot' on social media, escalating their public feud and highlighting tensions between the airline industry and tech giants.
- Passenger Payment Willingness: While Starlink's team believes that 90% of passengers would pay for Wi-Fi, Ryanair's experience indicates that actual willingness is significantly lower, illustrating the challenges airlines face in offering ancillary services.
- Acquisition Rumors Response: O'Leary addressed Musk's poll about acquiring Ryanair, noting that as a publicly traded company, Musk is free to make an offer, but non-European citizens cannot own a majority stake in European airlines, emphasizing legal constraints on potential acquisitions.
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Analyst Views on RYAAY
Wall Street analysts forecast RYAAY stock price to rise
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Current: 65.090
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About RYAAY
Ryanair Holdings PLC is the leading airline group by passenger numbers in Europe. The company employs a low-cost no-frills model to offer low fares to leisure customers on short-haul intra-European routes. In 2020, the most recent pre-pandemic fiscal year, the company carried 149 million passengers, utilizing a fleet of 467 Boeing 737 aircraft across its 1,800 routes. To keep costs low the company serves predominantly lower-cost secondary airports. The company generated sales of EUR 8.5 billion in fiscal 2020.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Compliance Deadline: Ryanair has been given a 10-day deadline to withdraw denigrating content and publish a formal rectification on its website; failure to comply will incur monthly coercive fines, increasing the pressure on the airline to adhere to the ruling.
- Legal Consequences: The court has warned that Ryanair officials could face criminal investigation if they continue to disobey the orders, emphasizing the strict penalties under Spanish law for persistent disregard of judicial mandates.
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- User Base: The service is currently utilized by over 7 million passengers, and it is free for MileagePlus members, which not only boosts customer loyalty but also has the potential to attract new users, enhancing the airline's competitive position in the market.
- Industry Dynamics: Despite Ryanair CEO O'Leary's concerns about fuel drag penalties associated with Starlink, he anticipates that all airlines will eventually offer free in-flight Wi-Fi, indicating a gradual acceptance of this technology across the industry and its future ubiquity.
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- Exploring Tech Partnerships: Ryanair is in talks with SpaceX-backed Starlink, Amazon's Leo, and Vodafone Group for Wi-Fi services, but O'Leary believes only 5-10% of passengers would pay for it, indicating limited market demand.
- Poor Financial Performance: In its latest earnings report, Ryanair reported an EPS of 7 cents, significantly below the expected 18 cents and down from 30 cents a year ago, highlighting the company's profitability challenges.
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- Market Sentiment Volatility: Rumors linked to Elon Musk have impacted Ryanair's stock price; despite strong fundamentals, the market's expectations for the company have become more uncertain due to discussions on social media, leading to divergent investor valuations.
- Upgraded Future Outlook: Despite regulatory challenges, management has raised its 2026 outlook, reflecting confidence in future growth; however, the ongoing tension between narrative-driven demand and fundamental performance continues to persist in the market.
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Barcelona Court Orders Ryanair to Comply with Ruling or Face Criminal Charges
- Court Ruling: The Commercial Court No. 12 of Barcelona has ordered Ryanair to comply with a July 2025 ruling, warning that failure to do so may result in criminal charges, reflecting the court's strict stance against the airline's unfair competition practices.
- Compliance Deadline: Ryanair has been given a 10-day deadline to withdraw denigrating content and publish a formal rectification on its website; failure to comply will incur monthly coercive fines, increasing the pressure on the airline to adhere to the ruling.
- Legal Consequences: The court has warned that Ryanair officials could face criminal investigation if they continue to disobey the orders, emphasizing the strict penalties under Spanish law for persistent disregard of judicial mandates.
- Ongoing Violations: Despite previous rulings, Ryanair has repeatedly violated court prohibitions, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the law, and the latest order serves as a final warning against its continued non-compliance.
See More
Ryanair and CFM Reach Engine Maintenance Agreement
- Maintenance Facility Development: Ryanair has reached a provisional agreement with CFM International to establish two engine maintenance facilities in Europe, with the first potentially opening in 2028, thereby enhancing its autonomy in engine maintenance.
- Long-term Parts Supply: The agreement secures Ryanair's direct procurement of over $1 billion in engine parts from CFM over the next 15 years, helping the airline lock in critical resources amid ongoing supply shortages in the aviation industry.
- Sustaining Cost Advantage: By investing in its own maintenance capabilities, Ryanair aims to maintain its cost advantage during manufacturing bottlenecks, reducing reliance on third-party maintenance services and enhancing its competitive position.
- Industry Dynamics Impact: CFM anticipates that the agreement will alleviate pressure on its repair operations while shifting part of the workload to Ryanair's future facilities, optimizing overall maintenance resource allocation and improving industry efficiency.
See More
Starlink to Launch Direct-to-Cell Service in EU with MasOrange
- EU Pilot Launch: Starlink has signed a deal with Spanish telco MasOrange to initiate its direct-to-cell satellite internet service in Valladolid, Spain, marking its first pilot in the European Union.
- Technology Expansion: This partnership positions MasOrange as the first European telco to offer direct-to-device satellite connectivity after Ukraine's Kyivstar, further advancing Starlink's technology deployment in the region.
- Market Potential: Starlink's direct-to-cell technology is expected to enhance internet connectivity for users in remote areas, addressing the growing demand for high-quality internet services and presenting significant market expansion opportunities.
- Future Outlook: As Starlink expands in the EU, it is anticipated to attract more telecom companies, promoting the proliferation of satellite internet services and enhancing overall industry competitiveness.
See More
United Airlines Expands Starlink In-Flight Wi-Fi Service
- Service Expansion: United Airlines has announced an expansion of its partnership with Elon Musk-backed Starlink satellite internet service, now available on over 300 aircraft, nearly covering its entire regional fleet, with plans to extend to over 800 aircraft by year-end, significantly enhancing passenger internet access.
- User Base: The service is currently utilized by over 7 million passengers, and it is free for MileagePlus members, which not only boosts customer loyalty but also has the potential to attract new users, enhancing the airline's competitive position in the market.
- Industry Dynamics: Despite Ryanair CEO O'Leary's concerns about fuel drag penalties associated with Starlink, he anticipates that all airlines will eventually offer free in-flight Wi-Fi, indicating a gradual acceptance of this technology across the industry and its future ubiquity.
- Stock Performance: United Airlines' stock surged 4.92% at market close on Monday and climbed an additional 0.34% in after-hours trading to $107.72, reflecting positive market sentiment regarding its business expansion and growth potential.
See More
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- Future Wi-Fi Trends: Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary predicts that most airlines will offer free Wi-Fi on short-haul flights in the future, although current implementation is hindered by technological limitations and fuel cost considerations.
- Exploring Tech Partnerships: Ryanair is in talks with SpaceX-backed Starlink, Amazon's Leo, and Vodafone Group for Wi-Fi services, but O'Leary believes only 5-10% of passengers would pay for it, indicating limited market demand.
- Poor Financial Performance: In its latest earnings report, Ryanair reported an EPS of 7 cents, significantly below the expected 18 cents and down from 30 cents a year ago, highlighting the company's profitability challenges.
- Antitrust Fine Impact: Ryanair has also paid a $351 million antitrust fine, which is still under appeal, further straining the company's finances and impacting its future investment capabilities.
See More
Ryanair's Q3 Performance Shows Divergence
- Sales Performance Beats Expectations: Ryanair's Q3 sales reached $3.74 billion, slightly exceeding market expectations, with passenger traffic increasing by 6% to 47.5 million, indicating strong market demand despite overall profitability pressures.
- Impact of Italian Antitrust Fine: The company's earnings per share fell to 7 cents, significantly below the expected 18 cents, primarily due to a £256 million ($351 million) antitrust fine in Italy, which is still under appeal and affecting financial performance.
- Market Sentiment Volatility: Rumors linked to Elon Musk have impacted Ryanair's stock price; despite strong fundamentals, the market's expectations for the company have become more uncertain due to discussions on social media, leading to divergent investor valuations.
- Upgraded Future Outlook: Despite regulatory challenges, management has raised its 2026 outlook, reflecting confidence in future growth; however, the ongoing tension between narrative-driven demand and fundamental performance continues to persist in the market.
See More
