Archive · 23 Jul 2026
Ryanair CEO Reprimanded After Plane Window Incident
A passenger on a Ryanair flight was almost sucked out of a broken window during a flight from Greece to Germany.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reprimanded Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, for making public statements about the cause of the incident before the investigation was complete.
O'Leary suggested that a foreign object damaged the plane, but the NTSB said they couldn't rule out issues related to the plane's age or servicing.
The passenger, Ljubisa Karovic, was badly injured and is now scared to fly again.
The NTSB is leading the investigation and has asked Ryanair to stop making public statements about the incident.
A Ryanair passenger was nearly sucked out of a broken window during a flight from Thessaloniki to Germany.
The US NTSB reprimanded Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary for making public statements about the cause of the incident.
O'Leary suggested 'foreign object damage' as the cause, but the NTSB said age or servicing issues could not be ruled out.
The passenger, Ljubisa Karovic, was injured and is now traumatized by the incident.
The NTSB is leading the investigation and has asked Ryanair to refrain from further public statements.
- Who
- Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary and US NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy
- What
- A near-fatal incident where a passenger was nearly sucked out of a plane window
- When
- July 10, 2026
- Where
- Over Greece, during a flight from Thessaloniki to Germany
- Why
- A piece of the aircraft broke off and smashed a window, causing a loss of pressure
Ryanair's Stance
NTSB's Stance
Cause of the Incident
Ryanair's Stance
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary suggested 'foreign object damage' as the cause.
NTSB's Stance
NTSB stated that age or servicing issues could not be ruled out and criticized O'Leary's public statements.
- Date of Incident
- July 10, 2026
- Aircraft Type
- Boeing 737 NG
- Aircraft Age
- 18 years old
- Passenger Affected
- Ljubisa Karovic, 61-year-old Serbian native
- Investigating Agency
- US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
- Airline Involved
- Ryanair (operated by subsidiary Malta Air)
- Incident Location
- Over Greece, during flight from Thessaloniki to Germany
- NTSB Letter Date
- July 22, 2026