Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, has downplayed an incident on a flight where a man was reportedly nearly sucked out of a window that shattered mid-air. The incident occurred on a flight operated by Ryanair’s subsidiary Malta Air. O’Leary clarified that the passenger did not actually get sucked out of the aircraft, despite the window shattering and causing a traumatic experience for everyone on board.
The passenger, 61-year-old Ljubisa Karović from Serbia, was on flight FR1879 from Greece to Germany when the window shattered, waking him abruptly. Objects flew out of the window as fellow passengers struggled to keep him in place. Karović suffered burns and bruises on his right arm and was supported by a neck brace following the ordeal.
Karović recounted the terrifying experience, mentioning the deafening noise of the explosion and the chaos that followed. He claimed to have been partially sucked out of the window before being pulled back in, fainting multiple times during the incident. His wife, Svetlana Grković, described how passengers came together to help her husband, using items like a bag and a suitcase to cover the hole.
Following the incident, Karović was promptly taken to the hospital but continues to experience pain from his injuries. His lawyer emphasized the miraculous nature of his survival, detailing the harrowing moments when Karović was almost thrown out of the aircraft due to the loss of cabin pressure.
Ryanair’s CEO mentioned ongoing legal claims related to the incident that the airline will address in due course.
