Weather: Hi 4°C / Lo 2°C
Ryaniar boss O’Leary's fury over Panorama
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Never one for shying away from a publicity opportunity, Michael O'Leary asked his flight attendants to pose in a charity calendar to raise money for the homeless.
More pictures
Print
Email
Michael O’Leary is soaring towards his biggest controversy yet.
O’Leary embarked on his biggest ever free seat giveaway just hours before the BBC broadcast the programme last night which included accusations that he ‘squeezes’ his staff like lemons.
The Ryanair chief said his airline would give away 100,000 free seats for “every false claim” made in the Panorama investigation.
The row between the BBC current affairs programme and Ryanair centres on a dispute over an offer of an interview with O’Leary. The programme turned down the interview following a Ryanair demand that it should run unedited.
Instead viewers last night saw reporter Vivian White travel to Dublin for an impromptu encounter with Mr O'Leary on his way out of Ryanair's annual general meeting last month.
Mr O'Leary said the exchange would be cut to “suit the Panorama agenda”.
As well as looking into Ryanair's cost-charging structure for passengers, the programme also examined the airline's dealings with airport operators and aircraft manufacturers.
Last week Ryanair published its correspondence with the Panorama team over the programme, in which Mr O'Leary sent an email to reporter Vivian White, accusing him of becoming “ever more bizarre and desperate” in his research.
However, the reporter did reveal the fact that cabin crew are required to pay £300 for their uniform during their first year working for the company, only being repaid after 12 months' service. But O’Leary went on the PR offensive against the BBC last night by offering the massive free seat giveaway.
Passengers can travel on these free seats on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in November and early December.
Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said: “All Ryanair asked for was an uncensored interview so that Ryanair’s answers were not cut or edited to suit Panorama’s hatchet job agenda.
“Today, in another attempt to cover up their failure to give Ryanair a right of reply, the BBC have uploaded the full uncut version of their doorstep interview with Michael O’Leary on the Panorama website. This begs the question why Panorama didn’t want, or wouldn’t agree to, an uncut interview with Michael on the programme itself, which we believe is because it didn’t suit Panorama’s hatchet job agenda.
“Ryanair will give away 100,000 free seats in November and December for every false claim made by Panorama.”
A BBC spokesman said: “I don't think you will find any false claims in the programme.”
On its refusal to grant Mr O'Leary an unedited interview, he said: “No broadcaster could give up editorial control.”
A statement on the Panorama website added: “Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said he would only give Panorama a formal interview for our programme, Why Hate Ryanair?, if we promised to run it totally unedited. We were not prepared to agree to this, but promised Ryanair we would be balanced and fair.”
The website includes a full version of the encounter between the journalist and O’Leary.
O'Leary (44) is among Ireland's richest men, with an estimated fortune of £280m. His airline is a staggeringly successful business: in 1985, it employed 51 people and shuttled 5,000 passengers between Britain and Ireland. It is now Europe's most profitable carrier, with 2,600 staff and a network of 233 routes stretching as far afield as Poland, Finland and Lithuania. It expects to carry 35 million travellers this year.
Post a comment
Limit: 500 characters
View all comments that have been posted about this article
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP address logged and may be used to prevent further submissions. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by BelfastTelegraph.co.uk's Terms of Use.
Posts submitted in UPPERCASE letters will be rejected.
.
I, based on my many flights with Ryanair, would sooner trust Mr O'Leary than the BBC. It seems to me that the BBC simply do not like success. They were unable to find it themselves and often have a go at others who have done so. I wonder is British Airways anything to do with the British Broadcasting Association as it is my view that they have both have failed many times over and they go green when they see chaps like Mr Olearly on a winner. I'll stick with Ryanair because what you see is what you get and the prices are fair.
Posted by ROBERT | 14.10.09, 00:36 GMT
I travelled frequently about 15 years ago From Ireland to Budapest, no direct flights, meant an overnight in London. Cost from either Belfast or Dublin to Budapest via London Heathrow, about 450 GBP. Now, I live in Hungary, and can travel from Budapest to Dublin with RyanAir for about 40 EURO. How come Panorama do NOT mention things like this. Long live RYANAIR.
Posted by hugobacsi | 13.10.09, 21:22 GMT
Wow. I'm absolutely shocked. Total agreement on the BT site. I have had this argument so many times.
Does it suit a family of parents and 3 young kids? Maybe not but that is not the only group of people out there. Those that complain about them should be careful what you wish for.
For the lad in Germany or the family that is lucky to own a place close to the destinations they fly to it is a god send. I mean its not like you are walking around Ireland wishing you had brought your cargo shorts home from Portugal. Grab a bag a sandwich a coke and get on the flight.
They are what they are, if you dont like them dont fly them.
P.S He was also correct about travel agents
Posted by rufus | 13.10.09, 21:19 GMT
You have to admit though, our Michael is a bit of a bully. Their website seems misleading, to say the least, as demonstrated by the BBC programme last night. Why do you think Ryanair changed the website content before the programme? It was indefensible and Michael O`Leary and the rest of the management mob at Ryanair knew it. It is a good job that not every employer in the UK and Ireland employs the methods used by Ryanair or else we would all be in a worse state than we are already in.
Posted by Cliff | 13.10.09, 20:42 GMT
Good on you Michael O'Leary. If only we had you running the BBC we might get rid of it's fat underbelly. Even better I would like to see you running the Country. We taxpayers may actually get some value for OUR money. Yea, dump Brown and his cronies and get Michael in quick!!!
Posted by DC | 13.10.09, 17:54 GMT
O'Leary takes the humbug out of flying; thrives on even adverse publicity-takes the p... out of all competition. Concentrates the mind very sensibly in relation to how many cases a women needs to take . Panaroma could not fault the way in which this highly effective business is run. Manning a tight ship is to be commended, when the fares are reduced accordingly.
Posted by Malachy McAnespie | 13.10.09, 16:58 GMT
I think the program was very balanced.
It gave Ryanair an unrivalled 30 minute commercial on the BBC (which money can't buy), in return for letting the beeb bitch about a few minor details which the travelling public is well aware of anyway!
Ryanair will always be the marmite airline (love them or hate them), but if you do learn to play the game by their rules, you'll be quids in. If you don't want to play, try EasyJet :)
Posted by StephenM | 13.10.09, 16:32 GMT
O Leary is a genius- he's got a fantastic business brain. Thats why he's built up such a business. He may well be cocky and full of himself but it gets him lots of publicity and in his business, thats vital. You get exactly what you pay for with Ryanair- a cheap no frills flight. If you want to be pampered, fly BA and pay 10 times the price. Its not surprising most other airlines are following his example and cutting cost. He gets flack because he has the b*lls to do these things first while the others wait behind him, ready to follow him when the coast is clear.
As some lady said on the show, the man should be running the country and he'd soon sort things out.
Good on him
Posted by Ronan | 13.10.09, 16:24 GMT
I travelled with Ryanair 2 years ago going to Norway. The return flight to Luton was canclled due to a 'safety issue' with the plane. We were told Ryan air would compenstae us for a 15hr delay including overnight hotel stay. When back in the UK they said they were not obliged to pay up for the hotel costs of the cancellation. Why tell us they would when they had no intention of? Good job I had insurance!
Posted by Belfast Citizen | 13.10.09, 15:33 GMT
The big worry for me is the time pressure put on ground crew to get the plane back in the air.
If they work to strict timetables under threat of financial penalty then it's only a matter of time before some vital component gets unchecked or serviced.
A disaster waiting to happen and the CAA should revoke their licence until this pressure is lifted.
Posted by peter | 13.10.09, 14:58 GMT
living as an ex-Norniron lad here in Germany for 13 years now Ryanair transformed overnight my options for flying "home" there to NI. The significant difference in seat prices compared to the established airlines means I can be back home there 2-3 times a year for the same expense that a single return trip with other mainsteam airlines would cost me. The terms and conditions of using them couldn't be clearer from Ryanair's side of things ..... if you pay peanuts , you're gonna get monkeys, and everyone that flies Ryanair shouldn't forget that ! I can only recommend Ryanair as someone that could be described as a regular traveller with them !
Posted by ex Belfast Boy | 13.10.09, 14:26 GMT
I have no problem with Ryanair. If you follow their rules you can have an excellent deal. Hand luggage only is not a problem for me. I don't need to eat or drink on a two hour flight. They often arrive early and their planes are spotless.
Perhaps their destinations are 'out of town' but if hiring a car it makes no difference: indeed it is easier to get one's bearings than being immediately confronted with massive roundabouts in the first mile or two of a big city destination.
Posted by rh | 13.10.09, 13:09 GMT
Ryanair bring the flights to airports
The passenger pays for them
What is wrong with that
When Ryanair expand at Belfast City then we will have flights at the price people want to pay.
When I flywith Ryanair I only need hand luggage if I need more clothes then I go to Tesco and buy somthing there and on my return i drop them off at the local charity shop
I am sure BCAW will say somthing about this programe so all I can say to the save aldergrove group is tough!! The people want the flights
and they want to fly from Belfast not a muddy field 20 miles away
Posted by Hand Baggage only! | 13.10.09, 12:04 GMT
I watched the programme with some disbelief, I have used Ryanair many times over the years to travel all over Europe, I know what to expect when I travel with them and know that that is the way they have consistantly kept their prices down - I know they use ariports that are out of town I expect it and it is why I am happy to use them -
I am not sure what the idea behind the programme was but to me it was a complete non programme. I will continue to use them. The price of refreshements quoted was not anymore than I would expect to pay on mainline railway journies - and If I am travelling on a two hour flight I don not actually need a drink or food so cannot see what the problems are , people have a choice use them or not.
Posted by Andy | 13.10.09, 11:46 GMT