Prposki: Investigation into the airplane incident in North Macedonia’s airspace is ongoing

The causes of the incident involving the “Ryanair” plane flying from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, which occurred yesterday morning over Macedonia, are still under investigation, Marjan Prposki, chairman of the Committee for the Investigation of Air Accidents and Serious Incidents, said.

According to him, communication with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is continuing without interruption, while the public will be informed in due time of any developments or additional information related to this case.

The “Ryanair” plane, which had departed from Thessaloniki for Memmingen, returned to Thessaloniki immediately after takeoff yesterday after a window came loose next to a passenger during the flight, the company said about the incident, in which one of the travelers suffered minor injuries.

“Ryanair” clarified that the landing in Thessaloniki was carried out without any problems and that the passengers were then returned to the terminal.

In the company’s statement yesterday, published by Greek media, it said: “One traveler requested and received medical assistance after landing in Thessaloniki. To minimize the delay, a replacement aircraft was provided to transport the travelers to Memmingen, which departed from Thessaloniki this morning at 9:35 a.m. local time.”

Media in Thessaloniki, citing passengers’ accounts, reported yesterday that immediately after takeoff, possibly when the plane was flying over Skopje, a loud noise was heard and then a window broke. According to these testimonies, the passenger seated next to it, due to the sudden decompression, was at risk of ending up outside the plane, but was held and saved by fellow passengers.

According to the testimonies, there was panic among the passengers, while the pilot remained calm, reassured the travelers and returned the plane to Thessaloniki airport. Some media reported that the window may have been damaged by an engine problem, after a detached part struck it, but this was not mentioned at all in the airline’s statement.

Media in Thessaloniki also reported that the injured person was a tourist in his 60s and that he is believed to be a Serbian citizen.