Ryanair chief denies letter to minister was racist

Ryanair chief executive Mr Michael O'Leary today denied allegations a letter he sent to the Minister for Public Enterprise concerning the use of Shannon airport as a stopover for Jordanian airlines was racist.

Ryanair chief executive Mr Michael O'Leary

In the letter Mr O'Leary accused Mrs O'Rourke of offering nothing to Irish tourism except "100,000 Jordanians stopping off for 'wee wees' in Shannon". He said the deal would do little more than create a couple of jobs for lavatory cleaners.

It was revealed by the Sunday Business Postyesterday the letter had been brought to the attention of Royal Jordanian Airlines and is said to have caused such anger the company was considering referring the matter to the Jordanian government.

100,000 Jordanians stopping off for 'wee wees' in Shannon Ryanair chief executive Mr Michael O Leary.

But speaking on

RTE

radio this morning Mr O'Leary said he found it difficult to understand why the letter was seen as offensive to Jordanian travellers "if it is the reality that all Jordanian travellers are doing for Irish tourism is buying sandwiches and going for toilet breaks."

He said: "The only offensive thing in this is that Minister O'Rourke touted this as some sort of great new dawn for Irish tourism when she's presiding over a continuing disaster."

Royal Jordanian Airlines uses Shannon as a stopover between New York and the Jordanian capital Amman. Twenty two flights a week pick up full catering services at the airport and the airline is considered a valuable customer by Aer Rianta.

Mr O'Leary said Ryanair would not have such a big problem with this if the Minister was not at the same time rejecting the company's proposals for 10 new routes into Dublin and Shannon from continental Europe and baring Irish people access to cheap fares to France, Germany and Italy.