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Ryanair's O'Leary Refuses to Apologize for High-Fare Rapists Jibe

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Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has declined to apologize after calling rival airlines 'high-fare rapists', rejecting a rape crisis centre's request.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has refused to apologise after describing rival airlines as "high-fare rapists", rejecting a written request for an apology from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC). He made the remark while speaking to journalists on Thursday, ahead of the airline's annual meeting with shareholders.

O'Leary told reporters that some travellers were "desperate to get to Ryanair's low fares because they can't afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe". Asked by a Press Association reporter whether the language was appropriate, he replied: "Absolutely." He named specific competitors, adding: "British Airways, Lufthansa, and everybody else's high fares, I'll happily offend them on a regular basis." When asked whether the comment might offend sexual assault victims, he said rape was "a terrible crime".

The DRCC's chief executive, Rachel Morrogh, wrote to O'Leary in a letter seen by the BBC, accusing him of using the language to chase a headline. She said the centre had received calls from rape victims who were "upset and distressed because of what you said". Morrogh offered O'Leary training on the impact of sexual violence and urged him to apologise. "I can't imagine you would ever use the term so flippantly again if you truly understood [what] it was like to survive rape," she wrote.

O'Leary declined both requests. "I am quite clear that no remarks of mine could possibly trivialise the heinous crime of rape," he said in response. Because he had not trivialised it, he added, he would "not be issuing any apology or accepting your offer of training".

The comments drew criticism from senior politicians in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Ireland's deputy premier, Simon Harris, called it "clearly an inappropriate use of language" and said O'Leary "should have moved to rectify it". UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told radio station LBC that rape victims were "not going to be rushing to book tickets with him, let's be honest".

The episode is not the first time O'Leary's choice of words has caused offence. In 2004, he reportedly described the owners of Stansted Airport as "a bunch of overcharging rapists" during a dispute over airport charges. He has also called some of his own staff "lazy bastards", and once told passengers seeking refunds: "we don't want to hear your sob stories."

More recently, in June, O'Leary said Ryanair would "reluctantly" stop charging parents to sit next to their children, a change that followed the opening of a watchdog investigation. He insisted the airline's previous policy had complied with the law.

Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, high-fare rapists, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Simon Harris, Heidi Alexander, airline fares, British Airways

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