An 18-year-old Ryanair-operated Boeing 737 experienced a mid-air cabin window failure during a flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, forcing an immediate return to the Greek city.
Witnesses reported that a passenger in his 60s, identified as a Serbian national, was partially ejected from the aircraft after the window dislodged shortly after takeoff. Passengers managed to pull him back into the cabin before the plane landed safely.
Ryanair confirmed the aircraft, operated by its subsidiary Malta Air, returned due to a passenger window dislodging inflight. The airline stated the aircraft landed normally, with one passenger receiving medical attention on the ground in Thessaloniki. A replacement plane was arranged to transport remaining passengers to Memmingen several hours later.
German and Greek media reported that passengers heard a loud bang, observed the window breaking, and saw oxygen masks deploy moments after takeoff. Authorities suspect the window may have been struck by engine debris, though Ryanair has not provided further details.
“We realized immediately there was a decompression. There were screams… one passenger had his head and shoulders outside the window,” said Christina, a fellow traveler, to Radio Thessaloniki. “Fortunately, he was still buckled in.”
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) confirmed awareness of the incident involving the Malta Air-operated aircraft and pledged cooperation with Greek and Maltese authorities conducting the investigation.
The incident echoes a 2018 Southwest Airlines accident, where a fatality occurred when debris from a damaged engine caused a window to rupture mid-flight.
