Passenger Window Dislodges on Ryanair Flight; Aircraft Returns Safely

A passenger on a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen was left hanging head first out of a cabin window as far as his shoulders for several minutes before others pulled him back inside. The incident occurred shortly after the Friday morning departure when a window dislodged, producing a loud bang and causing oxygen masks to drop, according to passengers.

The aircraft, an 18-year-old Boeing 737 operated by Ryanair's subsidiary Malta Air, returned to Thessaloniki and landed normally.

Ryanair stated that one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground. A replacement aircraft carried the remaining passengers to Memmingen several hours later. "We immediately realised there had been a decompression.

There were screams... for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door," fellow passenger Christina told Radio Thessaloniki. "The masks dropped and there was a strong smell. The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window.

The Irish Aviation Authority said it is aware of the incident involving the Malta Air-registered aircraft and will assist the Greek and Maltese safety investigation authorities.