Dispute Over Mid-Air Incident
Ryanair has officially announced it will be “disputing” claims that a passenger was partially sucked out of a window during a mid-air depressurization incident in July. The flight, traveling from Greece to Germany, was forced to divert after a window shattered, leaving 61-year-old Serbian businessman Ljubisa Karović severely injured. According to The Guardian, Karović’s legal team contends that the passenger’s head and arm were pulled outside the aircraft, only for him to be hauled back in by another passenger.
Speaking after the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) in Dublin on Thursday, CEO Michael O’Leary directly challenged this version of events. While acknowledging the incident was “very dramatic” and that the passenger was “sucked towards the window,” O’Leary insisted that no part of the passenger’s body actually exited the aircraft. “He wasn’t partially out the window. Part of his face didn’t get out the window,” O’Leary stated, adding that the airline would rely on the ongoing investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to resolve the matter.
Shareholder Dissent and Executive Pay
The incident dispute unfolded alongside a contentious shareholder vote regarding O’Leary’s compensation package. Despite the airline’s strong financial performance, approximately one-third of shareholders voted against a €150m (£129m) pay deal. The package, which includes options for 10 million shares contingent on profit and share price targets through 2032, was ultimately approved by a 2-1 margin. The dissent highlights growing investor sensitivity to both operational safety incidents and the leadership style of the long-serving CEO.
Backlash Over Inflammatory Rhetoric
Beyond the safety investigation, O’Leary is facing significant condemnation from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and victims’ advocates for his use of the term “high-fare rapists” to describe rival airlines such as Lufthansa and British Airways. As reported by The Irish Times, the CEO defended the terminology when challenged, claiming he would “happily offend” competitors.
Rachel Morrogh, CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, criticized the remarks as “lazy and uninformed,” noting that such language trivializes sexual violence and re-traumatizes survivors. Despite these calls for an apology and withdrawal of the comments, O’Leary has maintained his stance, signaling no intent to soften his public communication strategy.