Ryanair CEO disputes claim passenger was sucked out of plane window

The chief executive of Ryanair on Sept. 10 pushed back against reports that a passenger was partially sucked out of an aircraft window during a flight from Greece, saying he does not believe any part of the man's body exited the plane.

The incident occurred on July 10 aboard Malta Air Flight 1879, a Boeing 737-800 operating for Ryanair, during a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB, an independent U.S. government agency, took over the investigation from Greek authorities.

Broken engine parts struck the side of the plane and smashed the window, leaving one passenger with serious injuries, according to investigators. The plane lost pressure and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Svetlana Grković, a Serbian national, previously told news outlets that the decompression left her husband Ljubisa Karović, 61, hanging outside the aircraft up to his chest for about two minutes while passengers tried to pull him back inside.

While acknowledging Karović's injuries, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said the passenger is entitled to "some compensation" but not "millions and millions."

"We don’t think any part of his body got out the window, but he was certainly sucked in…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/travel/