Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has refused to issue an apology following backlash over his characterization of competing airlines as “high-fare rapists.” The remarks were made while speaking to journalists ahead of the carrier’s annual shareholder meeting.
When questioned about the appropriateness of his language, O’Leary defended his word choice and stated he would “happily offend” rival carriers like British Airways and Lufthansa on a regular basis. He acknowledged that rape is “a terrible crime” when asked whether the terminology might upset sexual assault victims.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre responded by sending O’Leary a letter, later seen by the BBC, in which chief executive Rachel Morrogh expressed that the organization had received distressed calls from rape survivors affected by his comments. The letter offered O’Leary training on the impacts of sexual violence and requested a public apology. Morrogh suggested that O’Leary would not use such language “so flippantly” if he fully understood the experience of surviving rape.
In his response, O’Leary stated he was “quite clear” that his remarks could not trivialize rape and therefore declined both to apologize and to accept the training offer. He maintained that he had not trivialized the crime and saw no need to issue a retraction.
The controversy drew wider political attention, with Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Harris describing the language as “clearly inappropriate” and stating O’Leary “should have moved to rectify it.” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told UK radio that victims of rape would likely be discouraged from booking with the airline. O’Leary’s history includes similar incidents, including a 2004 reference to airport owners as “overcharging rapists” during a dispute over charges.
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