Ryanair Rules Out Partnering with Starlink for Onboard WiFi Roll-Out

By
Geoff Percival
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LISBON, PORTUGAL - MAY 25: Ryanair Group CEO Michael O'Leary delivers remarks during a press conference in Radisson Blu Hotel to announce an increase of summer flights and to demand more slots for the airline in Lisbon International Airport, the opening as soon as possible of a second airport in Montijo, across the Tagus River, and the end of airport tax on May 25, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. Ryanair airplanes may not be flying in the coming weeks due to a European strike of crew members that is expected to affect Portugal, Spain, France and Belgium. The Irish carrier's workers are demanding better working conditions and wages and are asking for a company response by June. Failed negotiations may mean a summer with hundreds of canceled flights throughout the continent. (Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has ruled out any prospect of the airline linking up with leading provider Starlink to roll-out onboard WiFi services across the carrier’s fleet.

Starlink – a subsidiary of Elon Musk‘s SpaceX conglomerate – has rapidly positioned itself as the leading product provider as the commercial aviation sector races to adopt onboard WiFi services for passengers.

Already, the likes of IAG (including Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia); Qatar Airways; Emirates; SAS Scandinavian Airlines; Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, ITA Airways, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Eurowings); United Airlines; andAir France have signed up to Starlink.

However, there are other options. American Airlines has partnered with AT&T for its WiFi roll-out; JetBlue is partnering with Amazon‘s Kuiper project; Riyadh Air recently signed a deal with Huawei and Etihad has partnered with Viasat.

But, speaking to the Reuters news agency, this week, Mr O’Leary ruled out a specific partnership with Starlink, due to cost issues – citing the impact of fuel costs from drag caused by the antenna and the short length of its flights as the fundamental reason, and also seemed to distance Ryanair from any WiFi offering.

“You need to put antenna on fuselage, it comes with a 2% fuel penalty because of the weight and drag…We don’t think our passengers are willing to pay for WiFi for an average 1-hour flight,” Mr O’Leary told Reuters.

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