Ryanair 'insensitive' bombings ad sparks complaints
An advert by budget airline Ryanair which refers to the London bombings has led to a number of complaints, it was revealed today.
Under the headline “London Fights Back”, the newspaper advert shows Winston Churchill giving his famous V for Victory sign and saying: “We shall fly them to the beaches, We shall fly them to the hills, We shall fly them to London.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said that those complaining had spoken of the advert being “offensive and insensitive”.
An ASA spokesman said: “There have been a number of complaints and people have been saying that the advert is crass, offensive and insensitive.”
Ryanair claimed a lot of people had supported its message. Earlier this week, Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary said the low-fare Irish carrier had brought forward news of new routes and a special bargain seat sale to stimulate travel following the terrorist outrages.
At the foot of the advert is the message: “Let’s keep London flying.”
Ryanair’s head of communications, Peter Sherrard, said: “It is very important that Ryanair and other leading operators in London and the British tourism industry make a united stand to ensure that visitors return to London.
“We believe the best response to last week’s terrorist attacks is for ordinary people to continue to live their lives as normal, and to continue to travel as before.”
