Overview
- The event occurred Friday shortly after the Malta Air‑operated Boeing 737 departed Thessaloniki for Memmingen when a loud bang preceded a cabin window coming loose and oxygen masks deploying.
- A 61‑year‑old Serbian man was partially pulled through the opening up to his shoulders but was held by his wife and other passengers and later taken to hospital for friction burns and neck‑shoulder injuries.
- Crew descended and returned the aircraft to Thessaloniki, the flight landed normally, four people were checked at hospital as a precaution, and Ryanair arranged a replacement plane to complete the journey.
- Hellenic investigators (HARSIA) have opened a probe and the FAA and NTSB have been notified; local reports and two airport sources say engine debris may have struck the window but that cause remains unconfirmed.
- Flight‑tracking records show the roughly 18‑year‑old 737 climbed to about 15,000–20,000 feet before turning back, a recent diversion on the same airframe is being reviewed, and the case raises fresh scrutiny of maintenance, engine integrity, and window‑retention systems.