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Ryanair's Michael O'Leary Apologises for Use of the Word 'Rapist' to Describe Rival Airlines Prices

  • On Friday, Ryanair Chief Michael O'Leary issued a 'sincerely and unreservedly' apology for comparing competitor airlines to 'high-fare rapists,' acknowledging his remarks caused 'considerable upset and offence.'
  • O'Leary initially defended the comments made last Thursday in Dublin, arguing it was 'absolutely' appropriate to label competitors like Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, and British Airways as 'high-fare rapists.'
  • The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre drew intense criticism, with DRCC CEO Rachel Morrogh urging O'Leary to issue a 'swift apology to survivors of rape and sexual violence.'
  • Following conversations with family and friends, O'Leary realized his 'careless use' of the term caused significant harm, stating, 'I want to apologise sincerely and unreservedly to those people, especially to the survivors.'
  • Confirming that rape is a 'heinous and terrible crime' which cannot be trivialized, O'Leary pledged, 'I will try to learn from this mistake and do better in future.
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Michael O'Leary admitted that the expression caused upset, especially among victims of sexual violence.

·Marousi, Greece
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Ryanair's CEO has offered "the most sincere and unconditional apology" for the term "price rapists" he used, although he had initially denied it. The post Ryanair: Apology for "price rapists", CEO asks, albeit... belatedly appeared first on in.gr.

·Greece
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Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has apologised “to the victims and survivors” of sexual assault crimes for comparing rival airlines to “rapists”. In a video posted on social media, the Irish low-cost carrier’s chief executive said he wanted to “offer the most sincere and unconditional apology to these individuals, particularly the survivors”. He had used the term “high-fare rapists” to refer to airlines that compete with Ryanair at a pre…

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RTÉ broke the news in Ireland on Friday, September 18, 2026.
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