Ryanair to pay out €8,000 in ad row
THE long-running row between Ryanair and a former Swedish prime minister has been settled out of court, after Ryanair agreed to pay out €8,000.
Former prime minister Goeran Persson and former justice minister Laila Freivalds took the action against Ryanair when the low-fares airline used their images in an ad campaign with the tag line, 'Time to flee the country'.
But Ryanair's head of legal affairs, Jim Callaghan, yesterday insisted settling the case would "definitely not" alter the airline's attitude to advertising.
"The money is going to charity so we were happy to pay out, we're a very charitable organisation," he added.
The original Ryanair ad ran in February 2006 when the Swedish government was facing a crisis of confidence after its handling of the Asian tsunami.
The politicians had originally sought damages of €8,000 a head, plus their costs, after alleging "unauthorised use" of their images.
The case was about to come up for hearing when a settlement was suggested. Under the deal, both sides will pay their own costs, while the politicians can each donate €4,000 of Ryanair money to causes of their choice.
Meanwhile, Ryanair yesterday announced 18 new routes from six UK airports.
The latest announcement means Ryanair has now detailed 50 new routes for the 2008 seasons.
- Laura Noonan
