A claim of defamation made by Ryanair against the Daily Mail over reporting of claims made in a recent Channel 4 Dispatches programme has been settled by the newspaper.
The Mail set the record straight in an open statement made to the High Court in Northern Ireland.
The airline is still pursuing legal action against the Dispatches broadcast, describing it as defamatory.
Paul Tweed, representing Ryanair, said: “My client acknowledges and appreciates the prompt and comprehensive manner in which the Mail have acted to set the record straight in relation to the reporting of what were totally false and misleading statements, originating from a Channel 4 Dispatches programme which remains the subject of ongoing litigation.”
He added that the carrier was continuing to pursue Channel 4 in relation to the broadcast “which sought to undermine our client’s internationally acknowledged safety record spanning three decades”.
Ryanair chief pilot Ray Conway said: “I am very satisfied with the comprehensive vindication and acknowledgement of Ryanair’s 29 year safety record by the Daily Mail before the court this morning.
“While I am unable to make specific comments concerning our ongoing legal proceedings regarding Channel 4’s Dispatches programme, I wish to emphasise that Ryanair cannot and will not tolerate what were totally unjustified and inappropriate allegations in relation to our industry-leading safety.
“Safety has been, and will always be, the absolute priority for Ryanair, as demonstrated by our 29 year industry leading record, and by the Irish Aviation Authority’s recent confirmation that Ryanair’s safety “is on a par with the safest airlines in Europe”.