In brief
On Friday morning, a passenger on a Ryanair‑owned Malta Air flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen was left hanging head‑first half an aircraft window after a sudden decompression that caused the window to dislodge. Witnesses reported a loud bang, shattered airbags and a strong smell of ozone, with the passenger’s head and shoulders exposed for several minutes until fellow passengers helped him back inside. Ryanair confirmed the flight had returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take‑off, and a replacement aircraft carried the passengers to their destination later that day. Authorities in Greece, Malta and the UK are investigating the incident, which follows a 2018 Southwest Airlines accident where debris broke a window and nearly pulled a passenger out.
A man was reportedly almost sucked out of a window at height while flying on a Ryanair‑owned Malta Air flight.
Witnesses told local media that the Greek‑to‑German service, a Boeing 737, suffered a sudden decompression shortly after take‑off. The window dislodged, leaving the passenger’s head and shoulders hanging in mid‑air for several minutes before he was pulled back inside by other passengers.
Ryanair said the flight, operated by its subsidiary Malta Air, had returned to Thessaloniki “shortly after take‑off when a passenger window dislodged inflight”. According to the company, the aircraft landed normally and passengers were transferred to a replacement plane that flew to Memmingen hours later.
Passengers recalled a loud bang, followed by broken windows and oxygen masks falling from ceiling panels. The splash of engine parts was blamed by some on the bursting aircraft engine, however Ryanair has not confirmed the exact cause.
One survivor, who was reportedly a Serbian citizen in his 60s, mentioned that he had not removed his seat belt, a factor that likely prevented a more serious outcome.
The Irish Aviation Authority said it was aware of the incident and would support investigations by Greek and Maltese aviation bodies. A similar incident occurred in 2018 when engine debris broke a window on a Southwest Airlines flight in the United States, almost pulling a passenger out.
This event highlights the importance of cabin window integrity and immediate crew response to inflight emergencies.
