A passenger on a Ryanair‑owned Malta Air flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen nearly hung head‑first outside a cabin window after the window dislodged during the first few minutes of flight. The incident, reported to local media, left the 60‑year‑old Serbian man stranded from his shoulders to his head until fellow passengers pulled him back inside.
Ryanair confirmed the jet returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take‑off and landed normally. One passenger received medical assistance on the ground. A replacement aircraft was arranged for the passengers to continue their journey to Memmingen a few hours later.
Eye‑witnesses described a loud bang, the breakage of the window and the sudden drop of oxygen masks from the ceiling. Many believe the window was ripped apart by fragments from the jet’s engine, although Ryanair has yet to comment on the exact cause.
The Irish Aviation Authority notified the BBC that it was aware of the event involving a Ryanair group aircraft operating under Malta Air. It pledged to support the aviation safety investigation authorities in Greece and Malta.
The incident echoes a 2018 Southwest Airlines crash in the United States, where a passenger died after being partially sucked out due to a damaged engine blow‑off.
