Wife recounts heart‑pounding moment as Ryanair flight window blew open

Sun Sep 06 2026 12:59:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

During a Ryanair flight out of Thessaloniki, a passenger window burst, nearly leaving a husband hanging in midair—see how his wife described the terrifying minutes.

A wife explained what happened when a Ryanair passenger’s window blew open midflight, leaving her husband suspended outside the cabin. The incident happened during a short 10‑minute flight that suddenly dropped 9,000 feet, with passengers hearing an explosive sound. After the window was dislodged, Ryanair returned the plane to Greece before it reached German airspace. The husband sustained friction burns and was treated in a Greek hospital, while Ryanair confirmed the flight had to abort shortly after take‑off.

Wife recounts heart‑pounding moment as Ryanair flight window blew open

A woman who was seated beside a passenger on a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen last Friday said her husband nearly disappeared from the cabin when a side window blew open at 40,000 feet.

"He was out for maybe two or three minutes," she told reporters, before adding, "the lady sitting next to him and I tried to pull him back inside."

Flight data shows the airplane fell about 9,000 feet in less than 10 minutes, and passengers heard something that felt like an explosion as the cabin lost pressure. The crew had no alarms, so the incident was only noticed once the window burst.

The husband suffered friction burns that required medical attention at a Greek hospital and was treated as a 61‑year‑old Serbian national. The airline said the plane was turned back to Thessaloniki shortly after take‑off, after the passenger window dislodged in flight.

Passengers who were not involved in the incident have described the feeling of fear and disbelief that followed, with some saying the airline’s rapid response prevented a more serious disaster. Ryanair has tweeted that it will be investigating the emergency with authorities and will provide further updates as they become available.