Elon Musk on Friday called Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary an "utter idiot" who should be fired, escalating a public spat that began after the airline boss ruled out installing Musk's Starlink internet service on Ryanair aircraft.

Elon Musk said Ryanair "will lose customers to airlines that do have internet" after its CEO said he wasn't interested in Starlink.

In the U.S., budget airlines have been on the decline as lower income customers struggle to pay for travel and luxury airlines thrive off of higher paying customers. But in Europe, Ryanair has defied that trend, keeping costs low while turning a profit.

European satellite operator Eutelsat has entered a partnership with French space startup MaiaSpace, aiming to launch its low Earth orbit satellites and seeking to compete with Elon

Elon Musk's Starlink has rolled out an instalment payment option for its portable mini internet kit in Kenya, slashing the upfront cost to make it accessible.

The Iranian protests are just the latest global conflict where Elon Musk's Starlink has become a vital communication conduit. But will the service always hold up in the face of authoritarian regimes—and to Musk's whims?