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[TECHNOLOGY] · Greece, Germany, North Macedonia, Serbia · 100 sources

Ryanair flight returns after window breaks and passenger is partially sucked out

On 10 July 2026 a Ryanair‑operated Boeing 737‑800 (flight FR1879, Malta Air subsidiary) departed Thessaloniki, Greece, for Memmingen, Germany. Minutes after take‑off, a fragment from the right engine struck a passenger‑cabin window, causing it to shatter and a rapid cabin decompression. A 61‑year‑old Serbian man seated beside the broken pane was partially pulled out of the aircraft; his head and shoulders protruded through the opening. Witnesses said his wife clung to his legs and other passengers helped pull him back into the cabin. Oxygen masks deployed and the crew aborted the flight, returning to Thessaloniki where the aircraft landed safely. The passenger received medical treatment for friction burns and shock; other travelers were unharmed. Macedonian authorities, whose airspace the incident occurred in, will lead the investigation with assistance from U.S. aviation officials. Ryanair confirmed the window “dislodged in‑flight,” arranged a replacement aircraft and noted that only one passenger required medical aid on the ground. The event echoes a 2018 Southwest Airlines accident where a similar window failure proved fatal.

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4 days ago