Michael O’Leary is rarely described as an artist. This champion of the free market talks about cultural types in the same language that he reserves for socialists and “eco-loonies”.

His devotion to vulgarity is obvious to anyone who has heard him speak and to anyone who has flown on a Ryanair jet, with that gaudy livery and all those crass efforts to sell you a lottery ticket or stiff drink.

Last week it emerged that Ryanair is being investigated to see if its policies mean parents have pay to sit with their children, including those with disabilities. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking into whether parents are being charged so the airline can meet its child safety and disability‑related obligations.

Ryanair called it a “bogus investigation” and insisted its family seating policy “fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations and saves families money when travelling on the UK’s lowest fare airline”.

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If the investigation finds Ryanair does indeed penalise parents by making them pay to sit with their children, it wouldn’t be the first time the airline has toyed with the idea of charging passengers for something........

© The Irish Times