The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Ryanair's practice of charging parents a fee to reserve seats next to their children on flights. The probe will examine whether the airline's mandatory family seat requirement breaches consumer protection legislation.

Ryanair requires at least one adult accompanying children aged two to 11 to reserve a seat, a policy that typically costs £8 per flight on each leg. The CMA is assessing whether this effectively forces parents to pay for the airline to meet child safety and disability-related obligations required by aviation regulations.

The watchdog will consider if the contract term is unfair. Under consumer law, terms that heavily favor the business over the consumer are not legally binding, and the CMA can take enforcement action. The authority has the power to fine companies up to 10% of their global turnover or £300,000, whichever is higher.

Hayley Fletcher, Senior Director of Consumer Protection at the CMA, said families often save for holidays and extra charges can significantly increase costs. She noted that regulators have repeatedly told companies to present total prices upfront and warned that failure to comply could lead to action.

The investigation also examines whether the fee is added during the booking process in a way that conceals the full cost. Consumer law mandates that businesses display a total price including all unavoidable charges before purchase.

Ryanair has rejected the investigation, describing it as unfounded and insisting its family seating policy complies with relevant laws. The airline points out that adults pay one reserved seat fee and can then select reserved seats for up to four children on the same booking at no extra charge.

The CMA noted that Ryanair is the only major airline operating from the UK that imposes such a charge. Other carriers either offer free seat allocation for children with an adult or assign family seats automatically without cost. Consumer group Which? welcomed the investigation, with travel editor Rory Boland urging Ryanair to cease charging the fees immediately.

The investigation forms part of the CMA's wider effort to address cost-of-living pressures. Since enhanced consumer powers took effect, the authority has opened probes into 15 businesses across various sectors. According to ABTA research cited by the CMA, nearly a third of people planned to reduce holiday spending last year.

In a separate development, Ryanair does not apply the mandatory family seat fee on flights to and from Italy, following intervention by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority. The CMA also acknowledged that in some limited cases parents may be seated with their children without paying the extra cost.

The inquiry is at an early stage and no conclusions have been reached. An update is expected within six months. Potential outcomes range from a finding of unlawful conduct and imposed remedies to closure of the case.