A passenger on a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany was partially pulled out of a window that shattered mid-flight, leading to a harrowing in-air emergency that left him seriously injured and raised questions about the airline’s response. The incident occurred on Ryanair flight FR1879, which was en route from Thessaloniki to Memmingen when a cabin window next to the 61-year-old Serbian national, Ljubisa Karovic, exploded.

Mr. Karovic was asleep in seat 11F when the window on his right suddenly broke, causing a rapid depressurization and sucking part of his body through the opening at approximately 15,000 to 20,000 feet. He was pulled back into the aircraft with the help of his wife, Svetlana Grkovic Maksimovic, and several passengers, while cabin crew reportedly did not provide direct assistance. Mr. Karovic later lost consciousness multiple times and sustained burns, bruises, and acute neck and shoulder pain, requiring a hospital stay and ongoing medical treatment, including wearing a neck brace and the possibility of surgery.

The couple, who live between Serbia and Greece, expressed disappointment with the crew's handling of the situation. Svetlana said the crew appeared frightened and did not intervene as passengers battled to hold her husband inside the plane. Following the incident, the Ryanair pilot descended to a safer altitude and the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki airport, where emergency services were waiting.

Despite the severity of the event, Mr. Karovic said he has not been contacted directly by Ryanair, with communication limited to emails sent to his son—the original booking holder—offering rebooking options. He described the experience as traumatic and said the airline had shown little personal concern for his well-being. The couple is now represented by Greek lawyer Vasilis Tsiaras, who has pledged to seek significant compensation and to hold those responsible accountable. He also raised concerns about the condition of the aircraft and the crew’s conduct during the incident.

The incident is under investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which has already examined the aircraft and is expected to release a draft report within about 28 days. Ryanair has declined to comment publicly while the investigation is ongoing but has previously defended its safety record and indicated it has been in contact with the family. Neil Sorahan, Ryanair’s Chief Financial Officer, stated that the airline’s customer care team had been in touch with the family and praised the crew’s efforts to safely return the flight to the ground.

As the inquiry continues, attention remains on determining the causes of the window’s failure, with early speculation by Ryanair’s chief executive suggesting a possible foreign object caused the damage during takeoff.