A Ryanair flight was forced into an emergency landing just minutes after taking off from Thessaloniki airport in Greece yesterday afternoon, leaving one passenger shaken but alive. Michalis Giannakos, a trade union official, revealed that the plane's cabin window shattered mid-air due to an alleged engine failure, causing a 61-year-old Serbian man to be partially pulled out of his seat.
According to reports, debris from the failed engine struck and broke the acrylic window, leading to sudden depressurisation and oxygen masks deploying. The passenger was saved by his wife holding onto his legs as he was pulled headfirst into the plane's slipstream. The flight, FR1879 operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air, returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off.
The passenger, who was not named, was later taken to hospital with shock and friction burns from extreme cold and wind outside the aircraft. Flight tracking data shows the plane reached an altitude of 16,000 feet before making its descent back to Thessaloniki airport. Ryanair confirmed the incident, stating that a passenger window dislodged during flight.
A replacement aircraft was arranged to continue the journey to Memmingen, Germany, with passengers departing from Thessaloniki later that morning. The incident raises concerns about aircraft maintenance and safety protocols, particularly regarding the integrity of cabin windows under unforeseen circumstances.