Ryanair in rare apology to French president

Ryanair has issued a rare apology for its latest controversial advert, after incurring the wrath of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his lady friend Carla Bruni. The advert, which appeared in a French newspaper, featured a photograph of the couple with a super-imposed speech bubble over Ms Bruni's head depicting her as daydreaming that her family could use Ryanair to attend the much-publicised will they, won't they wedding between her and the Prez.

After legal action was launched by Sarkozy and Bruni, Ryanair apologised and offered to donate €5,000 to a charity of the President's choice. However, Ryanair's "sincere apologies" are tempered with its insistence that it has "no intention of giving into threats from Ms Bruni or to her ludicrous claims" and will "vigorously oppose any claim for €500,000 to this lady who had engaged in one of the most open, publicised and internationally reported relationships in the world".

I can't help thinking that no matter what the outcome Ryanair will come out on top. After all any publicity is good publicity from the airline's perspective, but when you're the President of France surely it's going to be hard to be taken seriously as a politician when embroiled in such a petty and futile legal dispute. You'd think he'd have more important things to do!