DUBLIN – Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary used a press conference in Dublin today to “sincerely thank” Elon Musk, claiming that their high-profile online feud has triggered a significant surge in ticket sales for the budget airline.
The unconventional “thank you” comes as Ryanair launches its latest marketing stunt: the “Great Idiots” seat sale, offering 100,000 seats from just €16.99. The airline explicitly dedicated the sale to Musk and “any other idiots on X.”
The “Starlink” Spark
The row began last week when O’Leary publicly dismissed the idea of installing Musk’s Starlink Wi-Fi on Ryanair’s fleet. The CEO argued that the necessary antennas would create aerodynamic drag, increasing fuel costs by an estimated €150 million to €250 million per year—a cost he refuses to pass on to budget-conscious travelers.
Musk responded on his platform, X, by calling O’Leary an “utter idiot” and a “special needs chimp,” while claiming the fuel drag calculations were “misinformed.” The tech billionaire even floated the idea of buying Ryanair just to fire O’Leary and “restore a Ryan as the rightful ruler” (referring to the airline’s late co-founder, Tony Ryan).
“Insult Me All Day”
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, January 21, O’Leary appeared unfazed by the personal attacks, revealing that the controversy has actually been good for the bottom line.
“All I would say to Elon Musk is he would have to join the back of a very, very long queue of people who already think I’m an idiot,” O’Leary joked. “But if it helps to boost Ryanair sales, he can insult me all day, every day.”
O’Leary reported that the airline has seen a 2–3% uptick in bookings over the last five days directly linked to the viral spat. To show his “appreciation,” O’Leary announced he would be sending a free Ryanair flight voucher to X’s offices in Dublin later today.
A “Twitshit” Marketing Masterclass
The “Great Idiots” sale is the latest example of Ryanair’s aggressive, low-cost PR strategy. The airline’s official social media header was recently updated with a cartoon of O’Leary punching Musk, while its press releases have mocked Musk’s “Twitter tantrums” (dubbed “Twitshit” by the airline).
Despite Musk’s musings about an acquisition, O’Leary reminded the billionaire that EU ownership rules require airlines to be majority-owned by EU nationals—effectively blocking a takeover by the American-South African tycoon. “Musk knows even less about airline ownership rules than he does about aircraft aerodynamics,” O’Leary quipped.
