Ryanair has stated it will contest claims that passenger Ljubisa Karović had any part of his body exit through a window when it shattered on a flight traveling from Greece to Germany in July. The 61-year-old Serbian businessman sustained serious injuries in the incident, which is being investigated by the US National Transportation Safety Board alongside Boeing, engine manufacturer GE, and Ryanair itself.
According to Karović’s legal representation, the passenger’s head and right arm were pulled through the window opening due to sudden cabin depressurization before he was retrieved. However, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary stated at the airline’s annual general meeting on Thursday that while Karović was “certainly sucked towards the window,” he maintained the passenger did not exit the window and no part of his body protruded outside. O’Leary emphasized that the passenger remained restrained by his seatbelt throughout the incident.
In an account to media, Karović indicated his seatbelt prevented him from being pulled from the aircraft while he lost consciousness. His wife reported that another passenger, believed to be Albanian, assisted in his recovery by attempting to block the damaged window using a bag and subsequently a suitcase.
During the same meeting, approximately one-third of shareholders voted against O’Leary’s compensation package valued at €150m, which includes share options contingent on meeting specified financial targets and his continued leadership through 2032. The deal ultimately received approval by roughly a 2-to-1 margin.
O’Leary also disputed explanations provided by National Air Traffic Services regarding a system failure that occurred earlier in the week, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers and resulting in over 2,100 flight cancellations across UK airspace. The aviation minister confirmed the issue involved the flight processing system at Nats’ Swanwick facility but stated investigations determined it was not cyber-related.
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