Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has been accused of “trivialising” rape after comparing other airlines to rapists.

Mr O’Leary made the remarks ahead of his airline’s annual general meeting in Dublin on Thursday.

He said it is “absolutely” appropriate to compare other airlines to “rapists”.

The comments have been heavily criticised by victims’ campaigners, Government and opposition politicians and a union representing staff.

Mr O’Leary has been asked to withdraw the “disgusting” remarks and apologise for them, with one support group offering him training on “how the trivialisation of rape is so harmful”.

The billionaire businessman claimed rising air travel prices at other airlines would see passengers switch to Ryanair.

He told reporters at the company’s headquarters: “You might find some people will choose not to fly with Ryanair – but you know they’ll be overrun with the people abandoning Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, BA, and others desperate to get to Ryanair’s low fares because they can’t afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe.”

He later repeated the “high-fare rapists” comments.

Asked whether this was appropriate language, Mr O’Leary told reporters: “Absolutely.”

Further pressed on whether the language was trivialising rape, he said: “That’s what I call high-fare airlines like Lufthansa, BA and others.”

He said rape was a “terrible crime” but rejected the assertion he was trivialising rape.

Rachel Morrogh, the chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, told the Press Association she was “dismayed” at Mr O’Leary’s remarks.

“These are lazy and uninformed comments,” she said.

“It feels like Mr O’Leary is chasing soundbites with no regard for how they may affect people. Undoubtedly, the words of high-profile individuals can contribute to trivialising and tolerating sexual violence in our society.

“For many survivors of rape, his words will be deeply hurtful and angering to hear.

“I will write to Mr O’Leary to offer him training on how the trivialisation of rape is so harmful.

“He has verbalised a historical trope and as a leading figure in industry, he should lead from the front in terms of what he says and does.”

Rape Crisis England & Wales chief executive, Ciara Bergman, said the comparison was “shameful and embarrassing” as well as “deeply insulting to survivors of rape and sexual abuse”.

She said: “I would be more than happy to meet with Mr O’Leary, CEO to CEO, to explain the work Rape Crisis and our members do to challenge the idea that sexual violence is a topic which can or should be trivialised – ever”.

Katie Kempen, the chief executive at Victim Support in England and Wales said the remarks were “appalling”, “offensive”, “completely unacceptable and deeply insulting to survivors of rape and sexual abuse”.

Ireland’s Public Expenditure Minister and Fianna Fáil deputy leader Jack Chambers said: “I think his comments were shocking, and I support what the National Women’s Council have said and others in condemning his comments, and he should withdraw them.

“We should never put victims in that light in the context of competition in aviation.”

Junior transport minister Jerry Buttimer said he concurred “wholeheartedly”.

The Fine Gael representative said: “I would ask him to apologise because we all know people who’ve been a victim, and and their story is a story that is not comparable to an airline selling airline tickets for whatever price.”

A spokesman for Fórsa, a union representing Ryanair cabin crew in Ireland, described Mr O’Leary’s comments as “deeply inappropriate”.

Ruth Coppinger, a Socialist Party TD in Ireland, told PA: “I think it’s disgusting that Michael O’Leary would trivialise rape and sexual assault by bandying around the word ‘rapists’ in order to get a provocative soundbite and get covered in the media in relation to other airlines.

“To say that it wasn’t offensive – it’s offensive to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault.

“What he was doing was purely using a word that he knew would get airtime – and no recognition of the fact that women, men, LGBT+ people who’ve been the victims of sexual assault, which is at an epidemic level in our society and internationally, would feel really insulted by that.”

Ms Coppinger said Mr O’Leary should “apologise” and “withdraw” the remarks.

“This is a really serious problem that’s faced by so many women, so many LGBT+ people – and it is at epidemic levels in our society and internationally,” she added.

The National Women’s Council of Ireland executive director Corrinne Hasson said the remarks about rape are “completely inappropriate and deeply offensive to survivors of sexual violence”.

She added: “Comparing rape to selling airline tickets undermines the experiences and trauma of survivors.

“Flippant comments like this show a lack of understanding about rape culture and form part of the bedrock which allows violence against women to thrive in our society.”

Labour senator Laura Harmon called on the Ryanair chief to engage with the Rape Crisis Centre to better understand the “horrific trauma of surviving sexual assault”.

She said: “Michael O’Leary must apologise for the comments he made in advance of Ryanair’s annual general meeting in Dublin.

“The casual use of the world ‘rapist’ to describe prices of his competitors is deeply shocking and could be traumatising for any survivor of sexual abuse.”

She added: “It is shameful to see O’Leary diminish the real experience of these survivors in such a way.

“Reports conducted by organisations like the National Women’s Council of Ireland often detail the systemic challenges victims of domestic violence are faced with when they look for help – through the courts and the legal system, and through first responders like the Gardaí.

“Having O’Leary make such ignorant comments only adds to this.

“I would urge him to come out and apologise today, and commit to informing himself about the real trauma of sexual violence.”

Ryanair did not respond to a request for comment.

– Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s National 24 Hour Freephone Helpline is 1800 778888 and the website is drcc.ie.