Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary apologises over 'high-fare rapists' remarks
O'Leary described his choice of language as "careless" and said "it won't happen again".
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has apologised after describing rival airlines as "high-fare rapists", saying he is "truly sorry" for the remarks.
He had earlier declined to apologise to a rape crisis centre that criticised him over the comments.
O'Leary made the remark earlier this month while speaking to journalists before Ryanair's annual meeting with shareholders.
Afterwards, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) wrote to him seeking an apology, according to a letter seen by the BBC.
O'Leary had initially said that some people were "desperate to get to Ryanair's low fares because they can't afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe".
When a Press Association reporter asked whether the wording was appropriate, he defended it.
"British Airways, Lufthansa, and everybody else's high fares, I'll happily offend them on a regular basis," he said.
When asked if it would offend sexual assault victims, he replied that rape was "a terrible crime".
In a video posted on Friday, O'Leary said that over the past ten days he had had "conversations with family and friends, both inside and outside Ryanair".
"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.
"I want to apologise, sincerely and unreservedly, to those people, especially to the survivors."
He described his language as "careless" and said "it won't happen again".
"I will try to learn from this mistake, and do better in future."
After O'Leary's original comments, DRCC chief executive Rachel Morrogh wrote to him, accusing him of trying to generate a headline with his remarks.
She said the DRCC had received calls from rape victims who were "upset and distressed because of what you said".
She also offered O'Leary training on the impact of sexual violence and urged him to apologise.
"I can't imagine you would ever use the term so flippantly again if you truly understood [what] it was like to survive rape," she wrote.
In reply, O'Leary said: "I am quite clear that no remarks of mine could possibly trivialise the heinous crime of rape."
He added that because he had not "trivialised the heinous crime of rape" he would "not be issuing any apology or accepting your offer of training".
This was not the first time O'Leary had upset people while discussing his business.
In 2004, he reportedly called the owners of Stansted Airport "a bunch of overcharging rapists", external, during a dispute over airport charges.
He has also previously referred to some of his own staff as "lazy bastards" and once told passengers seeking a refund, "we don't want to hear your sob stories".
In June, he said the airline would "reluctantly" stop charging parents to sit next to children after a watchdog investigation was launched, but insisted the earlier policy complied with laws.