Ryanair 737-800 returns to Greece after window shatters

A Ryanair flight was forced to make an emergency return to Greece on Friday, July 10, 2026, after a cabin window shattered mid-flight, causing a rapid decompression that partially sucked a passenger out of the aircraft. The Boeing 737-800, operating as flight FR1879 from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, Germany, landed safely back at its departure airport following the terrifying incident shortly after takeoff.

The event occurred as the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 20,000 feet. Passengers reported hearing a loud bang resembling a tire burst or minor explosion, followed by the shattering of a passenger window. The sudden loss of cabin pressure caused oxygen masks to deploy and filled the air with a strong smell. A 61-year-old Serbian national seated next to the damaged window was pulled by the escaping air, with his head and shoulders forced outside the aircraft.

Fellow passengers, including the man's wife who reportedly held onto his legs, worked together to hold him and pull him back into the cabin after several minutes. The man sustained injuries including friction burns to his neck, shoulders, and upper body, and was taken to a hospital in Thessaloniki for...