Ryanair flies into controversy in Italy

Ryanair has rejected the criticism of Altero Matteoli, Italy’s Transport Minister, concerning the advert on Ryanair’s Italian website which features Sig Umberto Bossi making a vulgar sign in Padua 10 days ago.

Ryanair’s Chief Executive, Michael O’Leary said:

“If Sig Matteoli is concerned with the offensive gesture made by Umberto Bossi, then perhaps he should ask Sig Bossi to apologise for the unpleasant gesture.

“Sig Matteoli cannot be seeking an apology for Ryanair’s claims that the Italian Government supports high fare Alitalia, opposes competition and lower fares and doesn’t care about Italian passengers, when Italian passengers are routinely stranded by the frequent strikes and penalised by the high fares and fuel surcharges of Alitalia, the bankrupt Italian flag carrier.

“If there is anything “vulgar and offensive” in Ryanair’s advert, it was the vulgar and offensive gesture of Sig Bossi in response to the Italian national anthem.

“Finally, Sig Matteoli as Italy’s Transport Minister should know that Ryanair is not a foreign airline that is a guest in Italy’s skies or at Italy’s airports. He should be well aware that Ryanair is a European airline, with exactly the same rights at all European airports and in European skies as Alitalia. The fact that Ryanair is now the preferred airline for the majority of passengers travelling to/from Italy simply demonstrates that whenever passengers have a choice between Ryanair and the high fare strike ridden Alitalia, the majority choose Ryanair.

“Perhaps this is why the Italian Government has to repeatedly provide unlawful State Aid to bail out Alitalia and why the only unpleasant thing in Italy’s transport system is Alitalia’s high fare strike ridden services”.