Ryanair rules out equipping planes with Musk's Starlink internet


FILE PHOTO: The Ryanair logo appears on a Boeing 737-8AS aircraft, registration SP-RSP, at Warsaw-Modlin Airport in Modlin, Poland, December 1, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo

BRUSSELS, Jan ‌14 (Reuters) - Ryanair on Wednesday ruled ‌out equipping its jets ‌with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service, citing the impact of fuel costs ‍from drag caused ‍by the antenna ‌and the short length of its ‍flights.

Rival ​Lufthansa on Tuesday announced a deal to ⁠install Starlink on its aircraft and ‌Scandinavian airline SAS last year picked ⁠the ‍provider, saying the aerodynamic drag of the system was lower ‍than rivals.

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

(Reporting by Julia Payne; Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Padraic Halpin)

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