A Ryanair flight operating from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, Germany, was forced to make an emergency return shortly after takeoff on Friday following a dramatic cabin window failure that partially ejected a passenger and triggered a rapid decompression.

The aircraft, operated by Ryanair’s Maltese subsidiary Malta Air, departed from Thessaloniki International Airport when a passenger window became dislodged inflight. According to the airline, the plane returned safely to Thessaloniki, where passengers were deplaned and taken back to the terminal. One passenger received medical assistance on site, and a replacement aircraft later carried the passengers to their destination.

Eyewitness accounts shared with Greek media described a loud bang shortly after takeoff, followed by an immediate loss of cabin pressure that caused oxygen masks to deploy automatically. Passengers reported that a 61-year-old Serbian man seated beside the affected window was partially sucked through the opening up to his shoulders while still fastened to his seat belt. Fellow passengers, including his wife, held onto him until crew and others could pull him back inside the cabin.

The man suffered shock along with friction burns and abrasions from exposure to the freezing high-altitude air. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Greek officials described the event as one that had come “close to tragedy.”

Some passengers suggested the window may have been struck by debris from one of the engines after hearing what they described as a loud explosion, though Ryanair has not confirmed this and the exact cause remains under investigation.

Flight tracking data showed the aircraft climbed to approximately 16,000 feet before turning back for the emergency landing.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said it is aware of the incident involving the Malta Air-operated Boeing aircraft and stands ready to assist Greek and Maltese investigators.

The event has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 incident in the United States, where engine debris shattered a cabin window, causing rapid decompression and the partial ejection of a passenger who did not survive.Ryanair stated that the aircraft landed safely and that passenger safety remains its top priority. Further details are expected as the official safety investigation proceeds. (ILKHA)