Ryanair CEO defends 'rapists' comparison as rape charity hits back
Michael O'Leary defends comparing rival airlines to rapists, drawing criticism from Rape Crisis England and Wales.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Ryanair's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, has defended his decision to compare other airlines to rapists, a remark that has drawn sharp criticism from a leading sexual violence charity.
Speaking ahead of Ryanair's annual general meeting in Dublin, O'Leary said passengers would flock to his airline because they could not afford the fares charged by what he called 'high fare rapists' such as Lufthansa and British Airways. When challenged, he insisted the comparison was not offensive and that he would happily offend those carriers on a regular basis.
'I don't think that's offensive,' he said. 'I happily offend Lufthansa, BA, Lufthansa at every high fares.' He added: 'I think it's a terrible crime and to trivialize it by calling another... don't trivialize it. That's what I call high fare airlines like Lufthansa, BA and others.'
The comments quickly prompted a response from Rape Crisis England and Wales. Its chief executive, Ciara Bergman, called the remarks 'shameful and embarrassing as well as deeply insulting to survivors of rape and sexual abuse'. She offered to meet O'Leary 'ceo to ceo' to explain why sexual violence should never be trivialised.
This is not the first time O'Leary has used such language. In 2004, he described the then owners of Stansted Airport, the British Airports Authority, as 'overcharging rapists'. He has also built a reputation for courting controversy with publicity stunts, including proposals for standing seats, a 'fat tax' for overweight passengers, and charges for using onboard toilets. None of these were ever implemented, but they kept Ryanair in the headlines.
O'Leary has also been vocal in recent days about the beleaguered air traffic control company, calling for its boss, Martin Rolfe, to stand down. The latest row over his rape comparison, however, has shifted attention to his use of language and whether it crosses a line in the post-Me Too era.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| O'Leary made the comments ahead of Ryanair's annual general meeting in Dublin. | |
| O'Leary used similar language in 2004, referring to the British Airports Authority as overcharging rapists. | |
| Rape Crisis England and Wales issued a statement criticising O'Leary's remarks. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused on the backlash from Rape Crisis England and Wales, framing O'Leary's comments as part of a pattern of deliberate PR stunts. The report highlighted his history of provocative statements and noted that times have changed since his 2004 use of similar language, suggesting the remarks may be particularly upsetting for victims of violence against women and girls.
- “i don't think that's offensive i happily offend Lufthansa BA BA Lufthansa at every high fares”
- “i think it's a terrible crime and to to trivialize it by calling another don't trivialize it”
- “mr o'leary's recent comments comparing airlines to rapists are shameful and embarrassing as well as deeply insulting to survivors of rape and sexual abuse”
Broadcast Timeline
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