RYANAIR DISPUTES CLAIM PASSENGER WAS SUCKED FROM WINDOW

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has denied that any part of a passenger's body was sucked outside the aircraft when a window broke mid-flight on 10 July. Serbian businessman Ljubisa Karović suffered neck and shoulder injuries during the flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen. Mr O'Leary acknowledged that Mr Karović was sucked towards the window whilst strapped into his seat, but stated that he did not exit the aircraft and that no part of his body extended outside the window.

Mr Karović's account differs from the airline's position. His lawyer stated that the businessman's head and right arm were sucked through the window opening as a result of sudden depressurisation. Mr Karović's wife, Svetlana, said she witnessed her husband "half in and out of the plane" before an unknown passenger, believed to be Albanian, helped pull him back inside and blocked the shattered window with a suitcase after a bag was sucked out. The US National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the incident alongside Boeing, engine manufacturer GE, and Ryanair.

Mr O'Leary said the airline would dispute the passenger's account once the investigation concludes. He stated he was "not trying to downplay" the incident but that the airline would await the NTSB report's findings. Mr Karović is entitled to compensation according to Mr O'Leary, though the chief executive dismissed claims for a multi-million-pound payout. The investigation will determine the exact sequence of events and extent of Mr Karović's injuries.