Ryanair boss O'Leary defends 'high-fare rapists' airlines remarks
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has refused to apologize for describing rival airlines as "high-fare rapists" during a press conference. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre criticized the remarks as inappropriate and requested an apology, which O'Leary declined. Political figures in Ireland and the UK also condemned the language as offensive and insensitive to sexual violence victims.
- ▪Michael O'Leary stated he would not apologize or accept training offered by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre regarding his comments.
- ▪The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre reported receiving calls from distressed rape victims who were upset by O'Leary's use of the term.
- ▪Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris described the language as clearly inappropriate and said O'Leary should have rectified it.
- ▪O'Leary defended his choice of words by stating he was willing to offend rival airlines like British Airways and Lufthansa over their high fares.
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| Original publisher | BBC News — Business |
| Canonical URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yejw9pjjyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss |
| Publication time | Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:37:25 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-11T15:42:50.927Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-11T15:42:50.927Z |
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Ryanair boss O'Leary defends 'high-fare rapists' airlines remarksImage source, Getty ImagesByKaty Austin, Transport correspondent and Mitchell Labiak, Business reporterPublished3 minutes agoRyanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has refused to apologise to a rape crisis centre which criticised him for describing rival airlines as "high-fare rapists". Speaking to journalists, O'Leary said some people were "desperate to get to Ryanair's low fares because they can't afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe".O'Leary doubled-down on his choice of words when asked about them at the time, and later refused to apologise when the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) wrote to him asking for apology, in a letter seen by the BBC.Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris said it was "clearly an…
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