Elon Musk is firing back at Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian after reports that Bastian dismissed Starlink based partly on Musk’s personal reputation, warning that the executive “will lose his job over this.”

The feud between Musk and Delta escalated Wednesday after reports surfaced that Bastian told employees the airline did not want to work with Musk, despite having tested Starlink before ultimately choosing Amazon’s competing Leo satellite internet service.

According to aviation reporter JonNYC, Bastian allegedly told employees, “We do not want to be with Elon Musk. Trust me.” At another event, Bastian reportedly said Delta had tested Starlink but decided against partnering with Musk because of his reputation, adding, “If you know his reputation, it’s all true what they say about him.”

JonNYC cautioned that he could not independently verify whether the reported quotations were accurate. Delta also had not publicly confirmed the remarks.

Musk nevertheless responded directly to the report, delivering a blunt warning about Bastian. “He will lose his job over this,” Musk wrote on X.

Musk has argued that Delta’s decision could hurt its passengers by rejecting Starlink, which has already been adopted by a growing number of airlines. He previously warned that “Delta will lose a lot of customers” because of the decision.

He later mocked Delta’s current connectivity options, writing that the “best way to sandbox an AI” would be to put it on a Delta flight because “it will have no chance of accessing the Internet.”

The dispute stems from Delta’s decision to select Amazon Leo instead of Starlink for its next-generation in-flight Wi-Fi. Delta plans to begin installing Leo on 500 aircraft in 2028, meaning the airline is committing to Amazon’s system while Starlink is already operating on aircraft belonging to major competitors.

Starlink also has a substantial head start in satellite deployment. Recent reports put Starlink’s constellation at more than 11,000 satellites, while Amazon Leo had roughly 400 satellites in orbit as of late September.

Delta has defended its choice by pointing to its existing relationship with Amazon, including its extensive use of Amazon Web Services. The airline has also highlighted Amazon’s cloud infrastructure, entertainment offerings, and other technology as part of the broader partnership.

But the reported comments from Bastian have shifted the dispute from a straightforward business decision into a much more personal confrontation. Rather than simply arguing that Amazon offers Delta a better technology or business arrangement, Bastian is alleged to have singled out Musk himself as a reason for rejecting Starlink.

Musk has responded by putting the focus back on the product and the competitive consequences for Delta passengers, arguing that the airline may be making its customers wait for a satellite internet system that is still being built while Starlink is already available across much of the airline industry.