Ryanair Mid-Air Emergency: Passenger Window Detaches on Flight to Germany

A Ryanair flight to Germany turned into a mid-air emergency when a passenger window suddenly detached, leaving a man partially hanging out of the aircraft before fellow travellers dragged him back inside.

The drama unfolded shortly after takeoff on a flight from Thessaloniki in Greece to Memmingen in Germany. The man, described by officials as a tourist from Serbia, suffered friction burns but is otherwise in good condition in hospital, authorities said.

Most people on board had been dozing when the routine flight snapped into crisis.

"There was a noise, like a tire bursting," one passenger told Radio Thessaloniki, as reported by AFP. The cabin quickly depressurised. Oxygen masks dropped. Screams cut through the aircraft.

For a brief, terrifying moment, some on board thought someone had opened an emergency exit. Instead, a window section had gone, and the head and shoulders of one man were outside the plane.

"The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn't taken off his seat belt," the witness said.

That seat belt proved crucial. It kept the man anchored inside the aircraft long enough for nearby passengers to grab him and haul him back from the gaping hole.

Greek media reported that the incident occurred while the plane was flying over North Macedonia, and that the window was shattered by debris that had broken off one of the engines.

Ryanair confirmed a serious mid-air incident but stressed the flight crew brought the situation under control.

In a statement, the airline said the flight "returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window detached during the flight. The aircraft landed normally and the passengers returned to the terminal."

The Irish carrier said a replacement aircraft was arranged to take the remaining passengers on to Memmingen.

Investigations are under way into how engine debris could have struck and destroyed a cabin window at altitude. For those on board, the questions can wait. They know how close this came.