UK launches investigation against Ryanair

For regular passengers, seat reservation is voluntary, but for passengers with children between 2 and 11 years old, the airline requires at least one adult to pay for a “mandatory family seat.” Typically the fee is around £8.

The CMA said it will examine whether Ryanair’s seat booking fees constitute a charge to parents for meeting “child safety and disability obligations under aviation regulations.”

The British regulator also noted that Ryanair is not applying the charge on flights to and from Italy – following intervention by the Italian civil aviation authority.