Ryanair, Easyjet settle 'Pinocchio' ads case

15th Jul 2010 12:38

Ryanair and its chief executive Michael O'Leary have been forced to "unreservedly apologise" and pay libel damages to Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of rival EasyJet.Ryanair agreed to pay about £50,000 to settle a lawsuit over a series of advertisements that likened Sir Stelios to Pinocchio.In January and February this year, the Irish airline published adverts in two newspapers featuring a picture of Sir Stelios with his nose lengthened in the style of the character Pinocchio and referred to him as 'EasyJet - Mr Late Again'."It is not very often that someone as arrogant and as powerful as O'Leary is forced to apologize to someone else in public," Stelios said in an e-mailed statement. "I took this legal action to protect my reputation. I am not a liar and that statement was libelous."