Ryanair has reassured passengers following a freak incident on one of its flights where a man was nearly sucked out of a plane window.
Ryanair Chief Executive Eddie Wilson confirmed that a full investigation is underway following a severe mid-air emergency on flight FR1879, where a passenger was injured after a cabin window dislodged. In public statements, the airline stated that the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki, Greece shortly after takeoff after a passenger window “dislodged in flight,” adding that the plane landed normally and a replacement aircraft was sourced to complete the trip to Memmingen, Germany.
Chief Executive Eddie Wilson announced a “full investigation” into the matter. Wilson assured passengers that aircraft are fully maintained every night according to regulatory schedules, stating that while “things happen from time to time” across 1.2 million annual flights, the outcome demonstrated they have the “best-trained crews”.
Though Wilson acknowledged that images clearly show damage to an engine, he declined to speculate on the root cause before the investigation finishes. The airline’s official media statements apologised for the disruption and confirmed that passengers were moved to a replacement aircraft to finish their journey.
The incident occurred on Friday, July 10, 2026, aboard a Boeing 737-800 operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air. Shortly after takeoff, a cabin window shattered, causing severe, sudden cabin decompression.
According to reports, the force of the decompression partially pulled a 61-year-old Serbian tourist, Ljubisa Karovic, head-first through the open window frame. His fastened seat belt and the quick reactions of his wife, who grabbed his legs, prevented him from being fully sucked out. The passenger was hospitalised with friction burns, shock, and minor upper-body injuries and was released the following day.
The primary investigation is being led by the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority (Greece). International aviation bodies, including the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), are providing secondary assistance.
Initial technical evaluations and passenger reports point to an uncontained failure in the right engine. Debris is believed to have broken off the engine casing and struck the fuselage, shattering the window.
