easyJet has held talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink about offering onboard Wi-Fi, but the financial case does not yet work for the British low-cost carrier, Chief Executive Kenton Jarvis said on Thursday.
The comments follow a recent public dispute between Elon Musk and Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary over the cost and practicality of installing Starlink’s satellite internet service on short-haul aircraft.
“At the moment, where we are with our talks with Starlink, the economics aren’t quite working for us,” Jarvis told journalists during a post-earnings call. He added, however, that Starlink’s offering was “a really good product” with strong streaming performance.
O’Leary has previously argued that Wi-Fi antennae mounted on aircraft increase drag and fuel consumption, estimating the cost impact at around $200 million per year, while questioning whether budget travellers would be willing to pay for onboard connectivity.
Jarvis said easyJet was also in discussions with other connectivity providers, describing inflight Wi-Fi as a “rapidly changing market.” The airline plans to keep monitoring pricing and performance before making a decision.
“We’ll continue those conversations and when the time is right, we’ll pick the right service,” Jarvis said, adding that it was not yet clear when such a move might happen.
For short-haul, cost-focused airlines, the debate highlights a broader industry tension: while high-speed satellite Wi-Fi is increasingly seen as essential on long-haul routes, its value proposition for low-fare, short-duration flights remains uncertain.
