Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary’s turbulent ride over claims about a judge have resulted in him being forced into an abject apology to the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey.

Mr O’Leary had his wings clipped in the High Court last week by Mr Justice Peter Kelly, who said the airline boss had lied in a letter sent to Mr Dempsey on February 25th.

The letter alleged the judge publicly criticised the Minister at an earlier hearing over an “inexcusable delay to appoint an appeal panel” to consider appeals against proposed new passenger charges at Dublin airport. “The statement that I was so critical is untrue and a lie,” Mr Justice Kelly said in his ruling.

After Mr O’Leary apologised in court, the judge instructed him to write a letter to the Minister to correct his statement. He ordered that a draft be submitted to him for his approval before being sent to Mr Dempsey. The judge said he wanted to be sure the letter was “clear, unequivocal, unreserved and without any gloss”.

In the letter to the Minister, which was released by Ryanair today, Mr O’Leary acknowledges that the claim Mr Justice Kelly was critical of Mr Dempsey’s role was wrong.

“This was incorrect, inaccurate and should not have occurred, as it incorrectly attributed comments to Justice Kelly,” Mr O’Leary writes. “The judge did not criticise you in any way.”

The Ryanair boss notes he “apologised unreservedly” to Mr Justice Kelly in court last week. “I also now wish to unequivocally and unreservedly apologise to you for this incorrect assertion and to reconfirm that the judge did not criticise you or your conduct in any way during the hearing on February 22nd last.”

During last week’s proceedings, the judge described Mr O’Leary’s explanation to the court as “pathetic” and said it was only with “prompting from the court” he agreed to write a letter to the Minister.

Mr Justice Kelly said he had considered a contempt of court charge against Mr O’Leary but instead accepted his apology to the court and his agreement to write to the Minister. He awarded maximum costs against Ryanair.

The proceedings arose after the Commission for Aviation Regulation last month sought to fast-track Ryanair’s proposed judicial review challenge to its decision in December fixing the maximum charges at Dublin airport for the next five years.