Wednesday 21 January 2026 15:26 GMT Ryanair boss responds to Elon Musk takeover threat Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has welcomed insults from Elon Musk, stating they have boosted the airline's sales. The exchange began after O’Leary dismissed the feasibility of using Musk’s Starlink internet system for Wi-Fi on Ryanair flights. Musk responded by calling O’Leary an “idiot” and “chimp” and mused about buying the airline. O’Leary reported that the “PR spat” has led to a 2-3 per cent increase in Ryanair sales over the past five days. He explained that installing Starlink would incur significant fuel drag costs and that Ryanair believes few passengers would pay for the service. In full