LONDON — A public spat between Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk intensified this week, centering on Musk’s proposal to equip the budget airline’s planes with Starlink satellite systems. O’Leary has firmly rejected the idea, citing concerns over increased fuel costs linked to the equipment.

The exchange between the two personalities escalated after O’Leary announced last week that the installation of Musk’s satellite Wi-Fi would not proceed due to the anticipated financial burden. He noted that the added drag from the antennas would significantly impact fuel efficiency, making the project impractical for the airline.

Musk responded on his social media platform, accusing O’Leary of being “misinformed.” In a cheeky reply, he suggested buying Ryanair and humorously implied appointing someone named Ryan to lead it, while a subsequent poll revealed that more than three-quarters of his followers favored the idea.

Addressing reporters in Dublin, O’Leary pointed out that non-European citizens are prohibited from holding a majority stake in a European airline, a detail that undermines Musk’s hypothetical interest. “If he wants to invest in Ryanair, we would consider it a smart investment, likely to yield better returns than what he is currently seeing with X,” O’Leary stated.

This incident comes on the heels of Musk’s controversial acquisition of X in 2022 for $44 billion. O’Leary, known for his sharp-tongued remarks, expressed gratitude for the publicity generated by their back-and-forth. In fact, Ryanair has cleverly used this feud to promote discounted flights, featuring a caricature of Musk in their advertisements.

When asked about Musk’s insults, O’Leary took them in stride, humorously noting that his four teenage children have already provided similar critiques. “He would have to join a very long line of people who have had something negative to say about me,” he quipped.

Despite the ongoing feud, O’Leary acknowledged that Ryanair had engaged in discussions with Starlink for nearly a year. The airline’s interest in the satellite-based internet service remains, but the costs are daunting. O’Leary indicated that implementing Starlink could cost around $250 million annually, including the installation of antennas and an estimated two percent increase in fuel consumption.

Ryanair might consider charging passengers for this kind of service; however, O’Leary believes that only a small fraction of travelers would be willing to pay a surcharge for Wi-Fi on short-haul flights, which average just over an hour.

Looking ahead, Ryanair is exploring partnerships with other telecommunication providers, including Amazon’s upcoming rival service, Kuiper. O’Leary emphasized that any arrangement must be financially advantageous for the airline.

The CEO also took the opportunity to weigh in on recent controversies surrounding Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, which has faced backlash for facilitating the creation of non-consensual digital content. “Social media, particularly X, has become quite problematic,” O’Leary remarked. “The allegations surrounding inappropriate content are deeply troubling.”

As this public disagreement unfolds, both O’Leary and Musk continue to make headlines, illustrating the intersection of entertainment and business in today’s digital landscape.