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.
