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Ryanair investigated over charging parents to sit with their children on flights

PA Media

Watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority said it will determine whether the practice is `in line with consumer law´.

Received: 06:33:57 on 11th June 2026

Ryanair is being investigated over charging parents to sit with their children on flights.

Competition watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will determine whether the practice is “in line with consumer law”.

Ryanair requires at least one parent to sit with their children aged between two and 11, according to the watchdog.

It does this through what the carrier calls a mandatory family seat, which typically costs about £8 each way, the CMA said.

Paying to reserve a seat is optional for other passengers.

The CMA said it is investigating whether Ryanair’s approach means “parents are being charged for the airline to meet its child safety and disability-related obligations as set out under aviation rules”.