LONDON (AP) — Ryanair has sought to deflect criticism about its handling of a racially charged dispute on one of its flights by releasing letters showing that it swiftly apologized to the victim and referred the matter to police.

The move comes as the man who directed racial slurs at a fellow passenger denied being a racist and apologized to the woman he berated on a flight from Barcelona to London's Stansted Airport.

David Mesher tells ITV on Friday the dispute with Delsie Gayle began as he tried to get to his seat and "probably lost my temper a bit and ordered her to get up."

Mesher says he regrets the language, adding "I'm not a racist person by any means, and it's just a fit of temper at the time, I think."