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Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite wifi will not be rolled out on Ryanair aircraft due to the impact of fuel costs on shorthaul flights.
Airline CEO Michael O’Leary told Reuters on Wednesday that the installation of an antenna on the fuselage – the main body of the aircraft – causes weight and drag, leading to a “2 per cent fuel penalty”.
“We don’t think our passengers are willing to pay for wifi for an average one-hour flight,” he added.
The budget Irish airline operates thousands of short and mid-haul flights across Europe, north Africa and the Middle East, with no wifi services offered to passengers on board.
Starlink, a satellite internet service by Mr Musk’s SpaceX, uses a network of thousands of low Earth-orbit satellites to provide high-speed broadband.
Michael Nicolls, VP of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX, responded on X (Twitter), claiming that “a 2 per cent fuel impact might be true for legacy terminals, but Starlink’s terminal is much lower profile and more efficient”.
Mr Musk added that Mr O’Leary is “being misinformed”.
Ryanair’s refusal to use Starlink goes against general airline trends. On Tuesday, rival airline Lufthansa announced a deal to install the wifi on its fleet.
Several other carriers, including British Airways, Qatar and United, are already using the technology.
Most commercial airlines adopting the satellite service will offer the service to passengers for free as a complimentary airline amenity.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent at The Independent, said: “A short hop on Ryanair is not comparable with a longer journey on which many passengers appreciate good wifi.
“Michael O’Leary’s airline is allergic to cost and complexity, so I think he will stick with scratchcards and paninis to keep passengers amused.
“People buy Ryanair flights for price, punctuality and safety – not connectivity.”
The Independent has contacted Ryanair for comment. The airline’s average flight lasts between 90 minutes and two hours.
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