The latest exchange began after John LeFevre posted on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that United Airlines had already equipped more than 600 aircrafts, or roughly 36% of its fleet, with Starlink connectivity, while Delta had no plans to adopt the service.
Responding to LeFevre’s post, Musk wrote, “Delta will lose a lot of customers”. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has once again reignited his public criticism of Delta airlines CEO Ed Bastian and the connectivity strategy of the airline, predicting that Delta could lose customers after choosing Amazon’s satellite internet service instead of SpaceX’s Starlink.
Earlier this year Delta opted to use Amazon’s Leo satellite internet service instead of Starlink and plans to begin installing the system on 500 aircrafts from 2028, according to a report by TheStreet. The Tesla and SpaceX chief also reportedly escalated the dispute by suggesting that Bastian could ultimately lose his job over the decision, following reports that the Delta chief did not want the airline associated with Musk personally
The report also added that Musk earlier claimed that Delta wanted Starlink’s internet service to be routed through the airline’s own proprietary login portal, an arrangement SpaceX was unwilling to support.