Ryanair mocks Elon Musk again with satirical post days after X outage: 'He needs a break'

The exchange followed earlier comments made by Michael O’Leary, who has publicly dismissed the idea of installing Starlink internet on Ryanair aircraft.

Ryanair has renewed its public exchange with Elon Musk after publishing a satirical post on X, days after the airline and the tech billionaire traded barbs during a disruption on the social media platform.

In the post, Ryanair announced that its chief executive, Michael O’Leary, would hold a press conference in Dublin at 10 am on January 21 to address what it described as Elon Musk’s latest behaviour on X. The airline used provocative language, stating that the briefing was being called to “address/undress” Musk’s recent online conduct.

The post quoted O’Leary as saying: “Musk knows even less about airline ownership rules than he does about aircraft aerodynamics.” It also suggested that Musk might benefit from time away from social media, asking whether he “needs a break”.

Ryanair further used the post to promote a discounted ticket sale, announcing what it called a “Great Idiots seat sale”, aimed at Musk and other users on X. The airline claimed it was offering 100,000 seats priced at €16.99 one way, urging users to book before Musk “gets one”.

.@elonmuskpic.twitter.com/c0rHEiJrIz

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— Ryanair (@Ryanair) January 20, 2026

The post quickly circulated online, drawing attention back to an exchange that began earlier, when X experienced widespread service issues in the United States. During the outage, users reported difficulties posting content, loading timelines and accessing the platform, with Downdetector recording sharp increases in complaints.

As frustration spread, Ryanair posted a comment directed at Musk, asking whether he might require Wi-Fi. “Perhaps you need Wi-Fi, @elonmusk?” Ryanair wrote. Musk replied with a sarcastic remark suggesting he could acquire Ryanair and appoint a chief executivenamed Ryan, a response that triggered jokes, memes and speculative replies from users.

Some users tagged Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, asking about Ryanair’s market value and the feasibility of a takeover, while others suggested potential candidates named Ryan for the airline’s leadership.

The exchange followed earlier comments made by O’Leary, who has publicly dismissed the idea of installing Starlink internet on Ryanair aircraft. Speaking previously on Newstalk radio, O’Leary said he would “pay no attention whatsoever” to Musk and raised concerns about fuel penalties linked to installing antennas on aircraft.

In remarks reported by Reuters, O’Leary said the added weight and drag would increase fuel costs and that Ryanair did not believe passengers would pay extra for Wi-Fi on short flights. Musk has countered that position, arguing that airlines without internet connectivity risk losing customers.