Ryanair Assures It Will Not Install Starlink Internet on Its Planes

Ryanair is known for operating short-haul flights in Europe (photo: x @Ryanair)

JAKARTA - Low-cost airline Ryanair on Wednesday, January 14, confirmed that it would not equip its fleet of aircraft with Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service. This decision was taken in consideration of the fuel cost impact due to aerodynamic interference from the antenna as well as Ryanair's relatively short flight duration.

Ryanair's decision is different from that of some of its competitors. German airline Lufthansa, on Tuesday, 13 January, announced a deal to install Starlink on its aircraft. Meanwhile, Scandinavian airline SAS last year also chose the provider on the grounds that the aerodynamic obstacles of the Starlink system were judged to be lower than those of competing technologies.

Ryanair Chief Executive Officer, Michael O’Leary, explained that the installation of the Starlink antenna carries significant additional cost consequences.

"You have to put an antenna on the fuselage, and that means a fuel penalty of about 2% because of weight and drag," O'Leary said, quoted by VOI from Reuters. "We're not sure our passengers are willing to pay for WiFi on an average one-hour flight."

Ryanair is known for operating short-haul flights in Europe with a primary focus on cost efficiency and low ticket prices. According to O'Leary, these characteristics make investing in high-speed internet services on board the aircraft not worth the benefits obtained.