Ryanair passenger nearly sucked out of plane after window shatters mid-air

Ryanair passenger nearly sucked out of plane after window shatters mid-air

A 61-year-old Serbian man was nearly pulled from a Ryanair flight after a passenger window detached mid-air on Friday, 10 July 2026. The incident occurred shortly after the aircraft departed Thessaloniki, Greece, at 5:55 a.m. Local time, while en route to Memmingen, Germany.

According to reports from Greek media, a piece of debris detached from one of the aircraft's engines and struck the window, causing it to shatter. The event took place while the plane was over North Macedonia.

The sudden breach caused the cabin of the Boeing 737-800 to depressurize. Passengers described a chaotic scene following a noise resembling a bursting tyre. One witness, Christina, told Radio Thessaloniki that she heard screams and initially believed an emergency door had been opened accidentally. She noted that oxygen masks dropped and a strong smell filled the cabin.

The Serbian tourist, who was traveling as a tourist, had his head and shoulders pulled outside the window by the force of the decompression. He was saved from being sucked out of the aircraft because he had not removed his seat belt.

Fellow travelers intervened to restrain the man and pull him back into the cabin. Michalis Giannakos, the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees in Greece, told reporters via Enikos that the man's wife held him down for five minutes to prevent him from being pulled out. Giannakos stated that passengers worked together to successfully pull him back inside.

The passenger was later hospitalized. While authorities stated he was in good condition, Giannakos confirmed he is being treated for friction burns. Other reports indicate he is believed to be in a stable condition.

Ryanair confirmed that the flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff. A spokesperson for the airline told The Post: A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday morning (10 July) returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight.

The airline stated that the aircraft landed normally and passengers were returned to the terminal. The carrier noted that one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki.

To minimize delays for the remaining travelers, Ryanair arranged a replacement aircraft. According to the airline, this replacement flight departed Thessaloniki for Memmingen at 9:53 local time on Friday morning.