The ongoing public feud between Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary and tech billionaire Elon Musk has intensified, with the airline boss announcing a specialized press conference to address their recent online spat. O’Leary, known for his combative style, has scheduled the briefing for 10:00 AM on Wednesday, January 21, in Dublin, promising to dismantle Musk’s recent comments regarding the airline industry.
Okay News reports that the announcement was made via a press statement released on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. In the release, O’Leary used characteristically colorful language, stating his intention to “address and undress” what he termed Musk’s “latest Twitter tantrum.” The escalating war of words follows Musk’s recent jest about staging a hostile takeover of the budget carrier.
The conflict has taken a marketing turn, with Ryanair launching a satirical promotion dubbed the “Great Idiots” seat sale. The campaign, explicitly targeted at “Elon and any other idiots on X,” offers 100,000 seats for just €16.99 one-way. The airline urged customers to “buy now before Musk gets one,” effectively monetizing the controversy while doubling down on the mockery of the X owner.
In his statement, O’Leary took a direct swipe at Musk’s technical acumen regarding aviation. “Musk knows even less about airline ownership rules than he does about aircraft aerodynamics,” the CEO remarked. This comment appears to be a rebuttal to Musk’s previous suggestions about how the airline should be run, specifically regarding in-flight connectivity.
The friction between the two moguls originated from a disagreement over the implementation of Starlink satellite Wi-Fi on Ryanair’s fleet. O’Leary has steadfastly refused the technology, citing a 2% fuel penalty caused by the weight and drag of the necessary antennas, and arguing that passengers on short-haul flights are unwilling to cover the extra cost. Musk, conversely, has argued that high-speed internet is an essential service that will determine future market share.
Tensions boiled over recently when Ryanair’s social media team mocked a technical outage on Musk’s platform, X. In response, Musk threatened to buy the airline and replace its leadership with an executive actually named “Ryan.” With the upcoming press conference, it appears O’Leary is keen to have the final word in this battle of corporate titans.
