Ryanair Says Free Wi-Fi Is Coming – But Elon Musk’s Starlink Isn’t the Solution Yet
Photo Credit: A Ryanair Boeing 787-800 aircraft. Vincenzo Pace
Skift Take
Following a very public clash with Elon Musk, Michael O’Leary acknowledges that onboard Wi-Fi will soon be ubiquitous, but Ryanair won’t absorb the cost until the tech aligns with the economics.
After a week of headline-grabbing theatrics with Elon Musk, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has clarified when – and under what conditions – free inflight Wi-Fi would make sense for Europe's biggest airline.
The spat between two of the world’s most outspoken business leaders was sparked by O'Leary's rejection of Starlink – the onboard connectivity product offered by Musk's SpaceX company.
However, speaking during Ryanair’s quarterly earnings call on Monday, the Ryanair chief struck a more optimistic tone on Wi-Fi overall. While he again rejected its rollout in the short-term, he acknowledged that free onboard internet is likely to become standard across the industry.
“In five years’ time, as the technology continuously improves, I think most airlines will be fitting Wi-Fi access onboard short-haul aircraft,” O’Leary said. “We would certainly do so in a heartbeat when we don’t have to put an aerial outside the fuselage of the aircraf
