Speaking to Reuters, chief executive Michael O’Leary said the low-cost carrier was continuing talks with several providers, including Starlink, Amazon Web Services and Vodafone, despite a recent public exchange with Elon Musk over the satellite internet service.

The dispute followed O’Leary’s decision to rule out installing Starlink on Ryanair’s more than 600 aircraft, citing concerns over fuel efficiency. Current Wi-Fi systems require antennas to be mounted on top of aircraft, creating additional drag that could add an estimated $200 million a year to fuel costs, he said.

O’Leary added that a key disagreement with providers was the assumption that passengers would be willing to pay for onboard internet access. “We don’t believe our customers will pay for it,” he said.

However, the Ryanair boss noted that the technology was evolving rapidly and that future designs could integrate antennas into the baggage hold or nose cone, removing the fuel penalty. Such developments would enable the airline to offer free Wi-Fi on all flights.

“When that happens, we’ll be able to roll out free Wi-Fi across the Ryanair network,” O’Leary said, predicting the breakthrough could come within three to five years.

He also joked that his verbal sparring with Musk could continue, suggesting the exchanges were generating “even more free publicity”.

Separately, O’Leary argued that European governments, rather than airlines, should bear the cost of preventing drone disruptions that have caused repeated flight delays across the region.