The public war of words between Elon Musk and Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has turned into a bold marketing ploy. Europe’s largest low-cost airline, Ryanair, has launched a campaign called “Ryanair’s Big ‘Idiot’ Seat Sale”.
The promo shows fake pictures of Musk and O’Leary labeled as “big idiots”. Irish businessman playfully attacks Musk. Musk is shown with a model Tesla car and a small rocket.
The sale offers 100,000 seats priced from £16.99 (approx ₹2,000) for travel between February and April. The campaign also targets X users (formerly Twitter).
Read also | Will Elon Musk buy the Irish airline Ryanair? Tesla boss launches X poll
“Don’t thank us, thank that big “IDIOT” Elon Musk. Sell now,” Ryanair wrote on Elon Musk’s microblogging platform.
The stunt reflects Ryanair’s long tradition of provocative advertising. It often attracts attention through such advertisements and quickly increases the number of bookings.
The row between the two billionaires began after O’Leary refused to install Starlink wifi on a Ryanair plane. He claimed the device would increase drag and cost the airline £250 million ( ₹3,071 crore) every year.
“Our fuel bill a year is five billion; it would cost us about $200, $250 million a year. In other words, about an extra dollar for every passenger we fly, and the reality for us is that we can’t afford that cost,” he said.
Passengers should not be asked to pay extra just to accommodate Elon Musk’s telecoms provider, according to an airline chief executive.
Read also | Musk jokes about buying Ryanair and replacing the CEO in the Starlink Wi-Fi line
Elon Musk rejected Ryanair boss’ cost calculations. According to Tesla’s CEO, the numbers are wrong.
Michael O’Leary responded in a company press release: “Musk knows even less about airline ownership rules than he does about airplane aerodynamics.”
“Maybe Musk needs a break? Ryanair is launching a Great Idiots seat sale especially for Elon and other idiots on ‘X’. 100,000 seats for just €16.99 one way. Buy now before Musk gets one!!!” further stated in the statement.
Elon Musk previously said O’Leary should be fired. He even suggested buying Ryanair.
“How much would it cost to buy you?” SpaceX founder responded to Ryanair’s post.
In another tweet, he wrote: “I really want to put Ryan in charge of Ryan Air. It’s your destiny.”
Can Elon Musk buy Ryanair?
No. Elon Musk buying Ryanair is unrealistic because according to EU rules, EU airlines can only be owned by European entities.
“Member States and/or nationals of Member States own more than 50% of an enterprise and effectively control it, either directly or indirectly through one or more intermediary enterprises,” according to the Official Journal of the European Union.
Read also | Elon Musk hits out at Ryanair CEO as Starlink row turns ugly
In order to operate an airline in the EU, at least 51% ownership must remain with Europeans. Moreover, they must be left with real decision-making power. Both ownership and control are mandatory. One without the other is not allowed.
Non-EU individuals or companies cannot own or control more than 50% of an EU airline. This includes wealthy foreign businessmen. The only exception is when the EU signs a special agreement with another country that allows this.
If an airline loses this ownership or EU control, it immediately loses its license. This means it cannot operate freely across Europe or benefit from the EU aviation market.
Elon Musk has American, Canadian and South African citizenship. This makes any takeover impossible today from a legal point of view.
