Overview
- On Thursday Michael O'Leary told reporters before Ryanair's AGM that it was “absolutely” appropriate to call competing carriers “high-fare rapists.”
- Victims' organisations, politicians in Ireland and the UK, and a union immediately criticised the remark and urged him to apologise or withdraw the language.
- The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said its helpline saw increased contacts after the comments and offered O'Leary free training on the harm of trivialising sexual violence.
- On Friday O'Leary published a letter refusing to apologise or accept training, denied he trivialised rape, and called the DRCC's criticism false and defamatory.
- The episode has raised reputational questions for Ryanair, strained relations with survivor charities and staff, and could affect public trust in the airline going forward.