Is this serious, or just a new add-on to what seems like their already existing
PR strategy of alienating people to get attention? Yawn.
They had a vacancy for a "Litigation specialised solicitor" recently. Requirements: "Familiar with IT/IP law and with the Internet":
Careers in travel - Litigation specialised solicitor
In other words (my words
), someone who may attempt to stifle free speech on the internet by means of legal threats (a minefield in so many ways, and a strategy that never consistently worked for anyone else, but often backfired).
It looks like that position is filled now. That person is probably busily looking for things to do, to justify his/her salary.
It's a bit unusual for an airline, or any company, to employ full time in-house litigation specialists; most companies employ only regulatory and corporate law specialists. Most companies are rational, and would rather avoid costly litigation, and resolve conflicts amicably. I assume Ryanair are also acting rationally. Possibly they're just barking, and hope to resolve whatever issues they think they have by barking (semi-amicably). But then again Ryanair always wanted to be a bit different...and they've been financially successful so far. Maybe they really plan to be involved in a lot of legal action, and want to spend their shareholders, employees, customers, and stakeholders money on litigators and courts. Maybe hiring a full time litigation specialist will somehow work for them, who knows. I'll have some popcorn when I read more, hoping it will be mildly entertaining:
According to AvHerald - "The airline's legal advisor has threatened further legal proceedings regarding this very article stating their message was marked "strictly confidential and private".
Tsk, Tsk. Bummer.
If they want something to be "strictly confidential and private" they may want to consider NOT to send it to the media (like avherald). If they simply keep their secrets locked in a safe, there's a much better chance that they will remain fully "confidential and private". Sending unsolicited letters to media outlets on the other hand is an invitation to publish. They can't reasonable expect other people, and particularly not the media, not to publish their unsolicited communications.