Kevin O’Leary Backs Elon Musk’s Starlink as United CEO Calls It ‘Biggest Near-Term Competitive Advantage’ in 100 Years, Says Amazon Leo Is ‘A Mistake’
Investor Kevin O’Leary backed Elon Musk’s Starlink after United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) CEO Scott Kirby called the satellite internet service the carrier’s biggest near-term competitive advantage in its 100-year history, taking a swipe at rivals’ slower onboard connections.
Kirby Says Starlink Is Winning Customers
"I 100% agree with this. The other airlines have DogNet. Your txt gets down to your kids after they are dead!" O’Leary wrote in an X post, reacting to Kirby’s remarks at Yahoo Finance Invest on Thursday, November 12.
"[Wi-Fi is] the No. 1 reason that people pick an airline flight," Kirby told Yahoo Finance’s Brian Sozzi on Thursday. "Eventually everyone’s going to have a competitive product, but we have a huge lead."
Kirby said passengers were choosing United specifically for Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s (NASDAQ:SPCX) Starlink, then staying for its reliability, service and mobile app. He expects the technology to attract loyal customers from competing airlines in 2027, building on passenger-switching trends he highlighted in October.
United Accelerates Starlink Rollout Across Its Fleet
The CEO also highlighted United’s upcoming return to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, saying, "All the JFK flights 100% are going to be on Starlink when we start JFK."
United’s Starlink tracker showed 694 equipped aircraft, representing 46% fleet completion. Kirby expects 87% of flights to offer Starlink by June 1, 2027, with installations completed by year-end.
Kirby Calls Rival Amazon Leo Bet Mistake
Discussing Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and its competing Leo network, Kirby said, "I think Leo is a mistake," referring to Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL).
He nevertheless praised Delta and CEO Ed Bastian, saying, "I disagree with them on this one decision, but they’ve done a good job."
Delta announced in March that it would begin equipping 500 aircraft with Leo in 2028, giving United a substantial head start in the race to provide high-speed satellite connectivity.
Meanwhile, Musk previously warned Delta would lose customers by rejecting Starlink. Bastian subsequently defended the decision, expressing confidence in Amazon’s technology and Delta’s longer-term strategy.
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