Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has sparked a major backlash after describing rival airlines as "rapists" over their pricing, prompting Ireland's Tánaiste Simon Harris and other government ministers to publicly demand he withdraw the remarks. The comments, made ahead of Ryanair's annual general meeting in Dublin, have been condemned by politicians, victims' campaign groups and a staff union as offensive and trivialising to survivors of sexual violence, yet O'Leary has so far refused to back down.

Speaking to reporters at Ryanair's headquarters, O'Leary claimed passengers would abandon "high-fare rapists" such as Aer Lingus, Lufthansa and British Airways in favour of Ryanair's cheaper fares, and when challenged repeated and defended the term, saying he was "absolutely" comfortable with the language and would "happily offend" the airlines named. Simon Harris called the remarks "clearly an inappropriate use of language" that O'Leary should rectify, while Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said they were "shocking". Campaign groups including Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Rape Crisis England & Wales and the National Women's Council also criticised the comments, with one offering to provide O'Leary training on the harm caused by trivialising rape, and TD Ruth Coppinger branding the remarks "disgusting".