Ryanair, the budget airline, is being investigated by the United Kingdom's competition regulator over the way it charges parents to sit with their children on its flights. The case focuses on the cost that families can face when they want to be seated together.
The investigation is being carried out by the Competition and Markets Authority, known as the CMA, which examines competition and consumer issues across the United Kingdom. It is the body responsible for looking into whether companies are treating customers fairly.
At the heart of the case is the practice of charging parents extra so that they can be seated alongside their children during a flight. It is this question of paying to sit together as a family that the regulator is now looking at.
Ryanair's long-standing approach has been that its tickets are cheap, and that passengers then face add-on charges if they want to take extra services. That model of a low headline fare with optional paid extras has always been part of how the airline operates.
For its part, Ryanair says that it abides by all relevant UK laws and regulations. The airline has pushed back firmly against the regulator, describing the CMA's intervention as bogus.
It is worth remembering that, at this stage, this is only an investigation, and nothing has been proven against the company. The process is still under way, and no conclusion has been reached.
However, the potential consequences are significant. If the CMA were to make a finding of unlawful conduct, it could fine Ryanair up to 10% of its global turnover, which would amount to a very large sum of money for the airline.