Ryanair(US:RYAAY) Sou Hu Cai Jing·2026-01-17 01:57Core Viewpoint - A public dispute has erupted between Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, regarding the deployment of Starlink satellite internet services on Ryanair's fleet, with both parties exchanging harsh criticisms on social media and in interviews [1][3]. Group 1: Company Positions - Ryanair has firmly rejected the deployment of Starlink services, arguing that passengers would not be willing to pay for WiFi on short flights averaging one hour [3]. - O'Leary stated that if Starlink were fully deployed, it would result in an additional annual cost of $200 million to $250 million for the airline, translating to an approximate increase of $1 per passenger [3]. - In contrast, several European airlines, including Lufthansa and Nordic Aviation, have begun to adopt Starlink services, indicating a trend towards enhanced in-flight connectivity [3][4]. Group 2: Industry Context - Ryanair has maintained a business model focused on low costs by stripping away non-essential services, a strategy it has followed since the 1990s [4]. - Musk is actively promoting the commercialization of Starlink in the aviation sector, with numerous airlines, including Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue, already signed on to provide high-speed, low-latency internet services [4]. - Starlink's aviation terminals can support hundreds of passengers per aircraft, with download speeds exceeding 100 Mbps, highlighting the potential for improved in-flight experiences [4].