Michael O’Leary challenges Stelios
11-Feb-2010 Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, today (11th Feb) challenged easyJet boss Stelios to a “Chariots of Fire” race around Trafalgar Square to settle a dispute which has blown up over the last week with easyJet and Stelios’ expensive lawyers (Herbert Smith and Rachel Atkins) threatening Ryanair with legal action over Ryanair’s recent adverts (see attached) which confirm that:
easyJet is in fact a "high fares" airline, since their average fares (€66) are more than double those of Ryanair (€32) and,
easyJet is hiding its poor on-time statistics (which have not been published on its website for the last 40 weeks in a row) because (Ryanair believes) easyJet's punctuality is so awful compared to that of Ryanair.
Michael O'Leary has promised to stop calling easyJet a "high fares" airline or an "always late" airline if Stelios wins the race, but if Stelios loses, then easyJet will admit that it is just another high fares airline (by comparison with Ryanair) and will agree to resume publishing its weekly punctuality statistics so that the travelling public can see just how poor easyJet's punctuality is.
Laying down this challenge today, Ryanair's Michael (Usain Bolt) O'Leary said:
"I am currently in rigorous training and believe that my daily regime of 40 cigarettes, 24 beers and extended sessions on the couch watching TV, leaves me in perfect shape to beat Stelios in a 21st Century version of the "Chariots of Fire" race around Trafalgar Square.
"We believe this race will be a much better use of Stelios' time rather than paying expensive lawyers to issue vacuous threats, when both Stelios and easyJet know they can't compete with Ryanair's prices and they can't match our punctuality either.
"If Stelios is too "tired" to run, then I will offer him the alternative of a wheelbarrow race around Trafalgar Square, with the winner taking all. Win or lose, at least Stelios and easyJet will save a fortune on expensive lawyers fees. No expensive lawyers can alter the facts, compared to Ryanair, easyJet is a high fares airline, and an always late airline.