Ryanair’s Chief Issues an Apology After Comparing Competitors to “Rapists” in a Heated Interview

In Dublin last week, Ryanair’s outspoken chief Michael O’Leary let loose a blistering tirade that quickly turned into a public relations nightmare. While denouncing the price hikes of rivals such as Lufthansa, British Airways and Aer Lingus, he crudely referred to those airlines as “rapists,” a choice of words that drew gasps from the press gallery.

“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,” O’Leary said, his voice rising as reporters tried to interject.

When a journalist asked whether he was trivialising a horrific crime, O’Leary doubled down, insisting he was merely using a harsh metaphor for airlines that charge “high‑fare” tickets. The exchange, captured on video and widely shared, sparked outrage among survivors’ groups and ordinary passengers alike.

Over the next ten days, the CEO says he spent long evenings talking with family and friends, a conversation that eventually led him to acknowledge the mistake. On Friday he posted an apology video, recorded for Virgin Media News, in which he said, “I am truly sorry for the offense and upset I’ve caused. It won’t happen again. I will try to learn from this mistake and do better in the future.”

O’Leary also emphasized that he “could not be clearer” that rape is a “heinous and terrible crime which cannot be trivialised,” trying to distance his earlier wording from any suggestion of insensitivity.

The controversy arrived at a time when Ryanair has been under scrutiny for other matters, including a public spat with Elon Musk over Starlink Wi‑Fi on its planes. Earlier this year the Irish billionaire‑turned‑CEO warned that adding the satellite hardware would increase aircraft weight and fuel costs, prompting Musk to label him “misinformed.” O’Leary retorted on an Irish radio show that he would “pay no attention whatsoever to Elon Musk, he’s an idiot,” a comment Musk later blasted as “utterly idiotic.”

Meanwhile, the airline also faced a separate complaint from a Serbian passenger who claimed he was partially sucked out of a broken window during a July 10 flight from Greece to Germany. O’Leary admitted the passenger was entitled to compensation, but rejected the claim that Ryanair owed “millions.” He maintained the passenger was “belted into his seat” and that the incident would not result in a catastrophic injury.

Michael O’Leary, who has run Ryanair since 1994, is no stranger to controversy. Yet this latest episode reminds investors and travelers that even the most seasoned executives can stumble when a volatile moment collides with the sensibilities of a global audience.

Ryanair’s share price showed only a modest dip after the episode, but the episode has reignited discussions about corporate responsibility, the limits of provocation in business speech, and the importance of measuring words against their real‑world impact.