The Irish carrier Ryanair announced it will contest accounts that passenger Ljubisa Karović had any part of his body extend outside the aircraft when a window fractured during flight. The 61-year-old Serbian businessman sustained serious injuries in the incident, which occurred on a Boeing 737 traveling from Greece to Germany.
Karović’s legal representatives stated that the passenger was drawn outward through the broken window due to rapid cabin depressurization, with his head and right arm passing through the opening before he was retrieved. The passenger’s wife reported witnessing him partially outside the aircraft and described how another traveler assisted in pulling him back inside and blocking the window opening using luggage.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary acknowledged during the airline’s annual shareholder meeting that the passenger was forcefully drawn toward the window but maintained that no portion of his body actually exited the aircraft. O’Leary stated the airline would dispute the characterization of events once the investigation concludes. The US National Transportation Safety Board is leading the accident investigation alongside Boeing, engine manufacturer GE, and Ryanair.
The incident occurred alongside broader aviation disruptions, as Ryanair’s leadership also addressed recent operational challenges affecting European air traffic. O’Leary continued to dispute accounts from UK air traffic control authorities regarding service failures, and renewed the use of provocative language when describing competitor pricing practices, drawing questions about the appropriateness of his word choices during the public forum.
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