Ryanair CEO O’Leary Apologises for ‘Rapists’ Comment
Ryanair CEO O’Leary Apologises for ‘Rapists’ Comment
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Key Points
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O’Leary made the remarks ahead of Ryanair’s annual general meeting and repeated them at the airline’s Dublin headquarters, saying passengers would abandon Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, British Airways and other rivals for Ryanair’s lower fares.
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Before apologizing, O’Leary rejected the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s request for an apology in a letter to its chief executive, Rachel Morrogh, writing: “since I clearly did not trivialise the heinous crime of rape, I will certainly not be issuing any apology.”
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Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin criticized the remarks, saying he was “disappointed” and that men needed to “cop on in terms of how we use language.”
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The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s chief executive, Rachel Morrogh, urged O’Leary to “stand back and reflect and listen to the voice of women,” describing the comments as a trivialization of rape and calling for a swift apology.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary apologized for calling rival airlines "high-fare rapists" while promoting Ryanair's lower prices. Leeds Live reported that O'Leary initially defended the language and refused to apologize, but later reversed course after facing backlash from Irish and UK politicians and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
O'Leary said conversations with family, friends and colleagues made him realize the comments caused "significant distress" to sexual violence survivors. He apologized "sincerely and unreservedly" and promised not to repeat the language, according to ITV.
O'Leary Defends Then Rejects His Own Words
O'Leary made the remarks ahead of Ryanair's annual general meeting at the Dublin headquarters. He compared British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Lufthansa to "high-fare rapists," arguing passengers would switch to Ryanair for cheaper fares. When the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre asked him to apologize, Leeds Live reported O'Leary refused, writing that he did not trivialize rape and would not issue an apology.
Irish Leaders and Advocates Demand Reflection
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin criticized O'Leary, saying he was "disappointed" by the comments. Martin called for men to "cop on" about how they use language. Rachel Morrogh, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, urged O'Leary to "stand back and reflect and listen to the voice of women," NDTV reported.
CEO Reverses Course After Days of Pressure
Days after rejecting calls for an apology, O'Leary changed his position. Birmingham Mail reported that he acknowledged his comments caused "considerable upset and offence" to sexual violence survivors and those affected by rape. O'Leary said he would learn from the mistake and pledged that such language would not be used again.
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