Ryanair chief executive Mr Michael O'Leary is very much a subscriber to the mantra that there's no such thing as bad publicity.

However, at the airline's annual general meeting in the airport's Holiday Inn on Wednesday, he was in repentant mood over one recent episode which saw both himself and the no-frills carrier portrayed in a bad light by almost every major media outlet in the country.

His contrition came when he was asked by a shareholder whether he had sought legal advice over High Court proceedings in June by one-time Ryanair customer Ms Jane O'Keeffe.

In 1988, Ms O'Keeffe was awarded free flights for life by the airline when she became the carrier's millionth customer.

Ms O'Keeffe claimed Ryanair had breached a contract to supply her with free air travel for life in return for participating in a publicity event around her nomination as the millionth passenger. Ryanair denied any contract existed, and claimed the offer of free travel was a gift.

Ms O'Keeffe was eventually awarded €67,500 and Mr O'Leary was found to be "aggressive" and "bullying" by Mr Justice Kelly.

On Wednesday, Mr O'Leary told the shareholder that the airline had listened to legal advice but that because Ms O'Keeffe was looking for €400,000 in compensation, Ryanair fought the case.

And, while he maintained he would take any publicity he could get, he apologised at how the episode with Ms O'Keeffe had unfolded.

"I would regret that we put the girl herself through four days of court which was no great fun. It distracted us for three or four days, we had bad publicity for a few days and now I'm characterised as hating women and all the rest of it. But 400 grand is 400 grand," he said.

He insisted that the case sent a message to the legal profession that Ryanair would never be "held to ransom" on any issue. As if it didn't know.