Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary reported a direct correlation between his public exchange with Elon Musk and a surge in ticket demand. After Musk labeled O’Leary an "utter idiot" for rejecting SpaceX’s Starlink connectivity—citing $250 million in annual costs due to additional weight and drag—Ryanair launched a "Big Idiot" seat sale and even offered Musk a complimentary flight. The low-cost carrier saw bookings rise by an estimated 2–3%, translating to approximately 300,000 additional passengers over a two-week promotional period. O’Leary noted that the social media attention generated roughly €15 million in ancillary revenue from seat selection fees and baggage charges.

During the quarterly investor call, O’Leary projected that average ticket prices may climb by 2–4% over the coming 12 months, driven by higher fuel prices, wage inflation and ongoing capacity constraints at key European airports. He anticipates passenger traffic growth of 5–7%, supported by an expanding route network and a stronger summer travel season. The forecast assumes jet fuel costs remaining 10–15% above last year’s levels and a 3% rise in pilot and cabin crew compensation following collective bargaining agreements in Spain and Italy.

Despite the public spat over in-flight Wi-Fi, O’Leary confirmed that Ryanair would welcome an equity investment from Elon Musk or any other strategic partner. He emphasized that additional capital could support fleet renewal and further expansion into underserved secondary airports. The CEO highlighted a plan to take delivery of 30 new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the next 18 months, which would push the total fleet count to 550 jets, and suggested that external funding could accelerate the retirement of older, less fuel-efficient models.

Following Musk’s latest quip about acquiring Ryanair and placing ‘a Ryan in charge of Ryan Air,’ the airline’s shares surged by over 4% in London trading. Analysts attributed the rally to both the mock acquisition talk and reassurance from O’Leary on robust demand and disciplined cost management. Several brokerages raised their target valuations, pointing to projected earnings growth of 12% for the fiscal year ending March 2027, supported by higher ancillary income and unit revenue gains across the network.