O’Leary says sorry to Stelios

It’s not something we see very often, but today Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary made an apology.

He was forced to apologise to Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of easyJet, for suggesting he was a liar in a series of print adverts.

Ryanair apologised “unreservedly” for tagging a photograph of Stelios with an elongated nose like Pinocchio and calling him “Easyjet’s-Mr. Late Again”.

As well as a half-page apology in the Daily Telegraph and Guardian newspapers, where the adverts appeared earlier this year, O’Leary was forced to pay out $77,000.

At a hearing in the High Court today, O’Leary’s lawyers agreed to withdraw the allegations.

“It is not very often that someone as arrogant and as powerful as O’Leary is forced to apologise to someone else in public and in writing,” Stelios said in a statement.

“I took this legal action to protect my reputation. I am not a liar and that statement was libelous.”

He said the compensation money will be donated to charity.

“I would like to dedicate this little victory to all those members of the travelling public who have suffered verbal abuse and hidden extras at the hands of O’Leary,” Stelios said.

By Bev Fearis