Thessaloniki, Greece: A Ryanair flight bound for Germany was forced to make an emergency return to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off on July 10, 2026, after a cabin window became dislodged during flight, triggering a rapid depressurization and injuring a passenger seated beside the window.
The Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft had departed Thessaloniki Airport in Greece on a scheduled service to Memmingen, Germany, when the incident occurred during the initial climb. Preliminary reports indicate the aircraft had climbed to between 16,000 and 20,000 feet when the crew declared an emergency and turned back toward Thessaloniki.
According to multiple media reports citing investigators and aviation officials, the emergency is believed to have begun with a reported uncontained failure of the aircraft’s right CFM56 engine. Investigators are examining whether debris from the engine struck the fuselage and dislodged a passenger window, causing a sudden loss of cabin pressure. The sequence of events remains under investigation and has not yet been confirmed by authorities.
The rapid decompression caused passenger oxygen masks to deploy automatically. Videos recorded inside the cabin and shared on social media showed masks hanging from the ceiling and a damaged window after the incident.
A 61-year-old Serbian passenger, who was seated next to the affected window and was wearing his seatbelt, was partially pulled through the opening created by the dislodged window during the decompression. Fellow passengers, including his wife, immediately grabbed him and managed to pull him back into the cabin before the aircraft landed safely. Reports state he suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including friction burns, and was transported to hospital after landing. Authorities have not publicly identified the hospital where he was treated.
The aircraft landed safely back at Thessaloniki Airport approximately 10 to 20 minutes after departure. Emergency services met the aircraft on arrival, and the injured passenger received medical treatment. The remaining passengers later continued their journey to Memmingen aboard a replacement Ryanair aircraft. The aircraft involved has remained grounded for technical inspection following the incident.
The investigation is being led by North Macedonia’s Accident Investigation Committee, with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing and engine manufacturer CFM International, reflecting the multinational nature of the aircraft, engine and operator involved.
In a statement, Ryanair confirmed the in-flight occurrence, saying: “A window became dislodged during the flight.” The airline added that the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki and landed normally, and that passengers were returned to the terminal before continuing their journey on a replacement aircraft. Ryanair has not confirmed media reports suggesting the passenger was partially pulled outside the aircraft, while the cause of the window failure remains under investigation.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) also confirmed it is aware of the occurrence and said it is coordinating with the relevant Greek and Maltese aviation authorities as the investigation continues.
