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In a video message released on September 18, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary expressed regret for his choice of words after conversations with family and friends both inside and outside the company, according to Bloomberg. “I have come to realise however that the word that I used so carelessly has caused considerable upset and offence to a wide number of people, especially to victims and survivors,” O’Leary said in the recording shared with Virgin Media News. “I want to apologise, sincerely and unreservedly, to those people, especially to the survivors. I am truly sorry for the offence and upset I have caused you by my careless use of those words. It won’t happen again. I will try to learn from this mistake and do better in future.” The Irish Times reported that O’Leary had initially defended the language when questioned by reporters.
O’Leary made the original comments outside Ryanair’s annual general meeting in Dublin on September 10 while discussing customer demand for the carrier’s lower fares compared with those of its competitors, The Irish Times reported. “You might find some people will choose not to fly with Ryanair but you know they’ll be overrun with the people abandoning Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, BA and others desperate to get to Ryanair’s low fares because they can’t afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe,” he told journalists. He repeated the phrase when challenged on whether it was appropriate language, replying “Absolutely” and adding that he would “happily offend” the named airlines, according to coverage in the Irish Independent and RTE. When further pressed on potential offence to victims of sexual assault, O’Leary stated that rape was a terrible crime but maintained that his description did not trivialise it.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre swiftly condemned the remarks, with chief executive Rachel Morrogh writing to O’Leary to request a swift apology to survivors and offering training on the impact of trivialising rape, a letter seen by both the BBC and The Irish Times. Morrogh told The Irish Times that the comments were “lazy and uninformed” and would be deeply hurtful to many survivors, while noting that Ireland’s National Rape Crisis Helpline had received calls from victims left upset and distressed. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin criticised the language but stopped short of demanding an apology, Bloomberg reported. In response to the centre’s letter, O’Leary wrote that he had not trivialised rape, describing it as a heinous crime, and explicitly refused to apologise or accept the training offer.
O’Leary’s initial refusal came just days before his change of position, highlighting a rapid shift following the sustained backlash that included criticism from political leaders and advocacy organisations, according to LBC and The Journal. The executive had asserted in his letter that he could not have been clearer in condemning rape as a terrible crime when questioned, a position he echoed in the video apology where he referenced being quizzed by the press on whether he was trivialising the issue. Multiple outlets including the New York Post and The Mirror noted that the apology arrived after more than a week of public debate over the appropriateness of using such terminology in a business context.
This episode fits a longer pattern of provocative public statements by O’Leary, who in 2004 reportedly used similar language when he called the owners of Stansted Airport “a bunch of overcharging rapists” during a dispute over charges, as recalled in the BBC report. A 2013 Guardian compilation of his most outspoken remarks included references to passengers, staff and environmentalists that drew widespread criticism at the time, underscoring a reputation for blunt and often controversial rhetoric that has become closely associated with the Ryanair brand. More recently, O’Leary has clashed with figures including Elon Musk, whom he called an “idiot” in a public dispute over in-flight technology costs, and Spain’s consumer affairs minister, labelled a “crazy Spanish communist,” according to Politico and Aerospace Global News.
Ryanair, as Europe’s largest low-cost carrier, has built its market position on aggressive pricing that frequently undercuts full-service competitors such as British Airways, Lufthansa and Aer Lingus, a dynamic O’Leary sought to highlight in his original comments at the annual meeting. The airline’s approach has contributed to significant growth in passenger numbers across the continent, though it has also drawn regulatory scrutiny and public debate over ancillary fees and customer service standards. Industry observers have long noted O’Leary’s willingness to court media attention through strong language, a tactic that has at times amplified Ryanair’s visibility while inviting backlash from affected groups.
