WATCH | Transport Malta assisting in investigations into Ryanair mid-flight window incident

Transport Malta’s Civil Aviation Directorate has confirmed it has received an initial report concerning an incident involving a Ryanair flight shortly after take-off from Greece on Friday morning.

A passenger was left partially hanging out of a cabin window after it became dislodged during the Ryanair flight shortly after take-off from Greece on Friday morning.

The aircraft involved was an 18-year-old Boeing 737 operated by Malta Air, Ryanair’s Maltese subsidiary. The plane was carrying out a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany.

A Transport Malta spokesperson confirmed the aircraft registered 9H-QUE, was operating a flight between Greece and Germany when it experienced technical difficulties and was required to return to its airport of departure.

The spokesperson said relevant Hellenic and Maltese aviation safety investigation authorities have been notified and will investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Civil Aviation Directorate said it will provide any assistance requested by the competent aviation safety investigation authorities in Greece and Malta, including the Bureau of Air Accident Investigation, in support of their investigation.

According to witness accounts reported by Greek and German media, a Serbian man believed to be in his 60s was left hanging head-first out of the aircraft window as far as his shoulders for several minutes before fellow passengers managed to pull him back inside.

One passenger told media outlets that the man had remained secured by his seat belt, which helped prevent a more serious outcome.

Footage circulating on social media shows a passenger using an oxygen mask while a cracked aircraft window can be seen nearby.

Ryanair confirmed that the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off after “a passenger window dislodged inflight”.

“The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki,” the airline said.

The airline added that a replacement aircraft was arranged to transport passengers to Memmingen several hours later.

Ryanair has not commented on the cause of the window becoming dislodged. Some passengers quoted by Greek and German media suggested they heard a loud bang shortly after take-off, followed by the cabin window breaking and oxygen masks deploying.

“There were screams... for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door,” another passenger told Radio Thessaloniki.

The Irish Aviation Authority said it was aware of the incident involving the Malta Air-operated aircraft and would provide any requested assistance to the aviation safety investigation authorities in Greece and Malta.