Ryanair has lost an appeal in the Italian courts against a ban on airlines charging additional fees for seat reservations when passengers need to sit next to children under 12 or individuals with disabilities, as confirmed by Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC).
ENAC introduced the ban in 2021 to prevent airlines from imposing extra charges for seat selection in situations where passengers must be seated next to minors or individuals requiring assistance.
The Council of State, Italy’s top administrative court, upheld the initial ruling against Ryanair’s challenge, agreeing with ENAC that the surcharge for seat selection should not apply in cases involving passengers who need to sit together for safety reasons.
Ryanair typically charges passengers for choosing their seats on flights, but the court ruled that this practice should not extend to situations where the proximity of seats is essential for safety, such as when accompanying minors or individuals with disabilities.
Ryanair said “this ruling does not require any change to its current seating policy, as the company does not charge any fee for children under 12 travelling with an adult. The airline ensures adult passengers accompanying minors or special needs passengers have several options to avail (themselves) of free allocated seating”.
