Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Clash Over Starlink In-Flight Wi-Fi Costs
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1h ago
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Escalating Dispute: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk clashed with Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary over the costs and value of installing Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi on short-haul flights, with O'Leary arguing that antennas would significantly increase costs, making passengers unwilling to pay for Wi-Fi.
- Social Media Engagement: During the dispute, Ryanair's official social media accounts mocked Musk, suggesting he needed Wi-Fi during an X outage, indicating that the tension between the two CEOs is spilling over into public platforms.
- Market Reaction: Ryanair's shares rose 2.6% in premarket trading, reflecting market confidence in the company's growth prospects, while Tesla's shares fell 2.5%, indicating investor concerns over Musk's comments.
- Future Outlook: Ryanair's stock surged 55% in 2025, leading European airline stocks and showcasing its growth potential over the next decade, although the dispute with Musk may impact its brand image.
Analyst Views on RYAAY
Wall Street analysts forecast RYAAY stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for RYAAY is USD with a low forecast of USD and a high forecast of USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
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Current: 68.280
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Current: 68.280
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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.
