Ryanair window shatters after Thessaloniki takeoff; passenger partially sucked out and hospitalised

A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Germany turned into an emergency on the morning of 10 July 2026 when a passenger window fractured shortly after takeoff, triggering cabin decompression and forcing the crew to return to Macedonia Airport. The aircraft landed safely, and the airline deployed a replacement plane to prevent a lengthy delay. Passengers described scenes of panic as oxygen masks dropped and fellow travellers struggled to hold a man seated beside the broken window.

What happened in the cabin

According to passenger accounts provided to Radio Thessaloniki and rthess.gr, a loud bang was heard soon after departure. The cabin depressurised, oxygen masks deployed, and a 61-year-old Serbian passenger next to the shattered window was subjected to extreme air pressure. POEDIN president Michalis Giannakos stated that a small portion of the man's body was pulled outside the aircraft and that his wife and other passengers held him by the legs for about five minutes until they could drag him back inside.

A small part of the passenger's body went outside and his wife tried to hold him by the legs, with the help of other passengers, for about five minutes, until they managed to pull him back into the cabin.

Injuries and medical response

EKAB ambulances met the aircraft at Macedonia Airport. The 61-year-old passenger was transported to AHEPA hospital with friction burns and a neck injury; he was conscious but in a state of shock. A pregnant woman on the flight was taken to Ippokrateio Hospital for a precautionary ultrasound and was discharged after tests showed no abnormal findings.

Conflicting reports on the cause

Ryanair's official statement, published by ΣΚΑΪ, describes the event as a passenger window that "detached in flight" but makes no mention of engine involvement. A separate report from H Kathimerini, however, says the crew detected serious engine damage while over the Skopje area that could not be handled in flight, and that after the safe landing extensive engine damage was confirmed. That source adds that a piece of the engine allegedly detached during descent and struck the window, causing the injury. Authorities are investigating the exact circumstances.

A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday morning (10 July) returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window detached in flight. The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal.

Airline and airport response

The pilot initiated emergency procedures, changed course, and returned the Boeing aircraft to Macedonia Airport. Ryanair reported that one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki. To avoid a significant delay, the airline mobilised a replacement aircraft that departed Thessaloniki at 09:35 local time on the same day to carry passengers onward to Memmingen. All remaining passengers stayed at the terminal until checks were completed.