A harrowing incident occurred on a Malta Air flight, a subsidiary of the budget carrier Ryanair, when a passenger was nearly pulled through a cabin window while in flight. Witnesses reported that a Serbian man in his 60s was left dangling head-first out of the window until fellow passengers managed to drag him back into the cabin.
Ryanair confirmed that the flight, which departed from Thessaloniki, Greece, toward Memmingen, Germany, on a Friday morning, was forced to return shortly after takeoff due to a window dislodging. The airline stated that the aircraft landed safely and the individual involved received medical attention upon arrival. A secondary plane was provided to transport the remaining passengers later that day.
Passengers aboard the Boeing 737 described hearing a loud noise, followed by the breaking of a window and the deployment of oxygen masks. Some speculated that engine debris might have damaged the window, though Ryanair has offered no official comment on the cause. One traveler noted that the victim remained inside the plane largely because he had kept his seat belt fastened.
The Irish Aviation Authority acknowledged the incident and announced it would assist Greek and Maltese authorities with the safety investigation. This event echoes a 2018 tragedy in the United States, where a Southwest Airlines passenger was killed after engine failure led to a broken window.
