Ryanair has issued a statement reassuring the flying public that its planes are indeed safe, following an incident where a passenger was nearly sucked out of a window mid-flight. Ljubisa Karović, 61, was pulled headfirst toward the void after an engine failure sent debris crashing through an acrylic window on a flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, Germany. His wife, Svetlana Grković, heroically grabbed his legs and, with help from two other passengers, hauled him back to safety.

Neil Sorahan, Ryanair's group chief financial officer, praised the crew for their 'phenomenal job' in getting the aircraft back to Thessaloniki, noting that 'everyone bar none walked off the aircraft.' He declined to discuss compensation, saying it was 'way too early' while the investigation - led by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) - is ongoing. The incident occurred on a Boeing 737 operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air. Sorahan insisted the fleet is safe, noting that neither the FAA nor the European Union Aviation Safety Agency has required operational changes. 'We have a relatively young fleet,' he said, adding that Boeing 737s are 'probably the safest aircraft ever built.'

Meanwhile, Sorahan took a moment to criticize the EU's new digital entry-exit system (EES), which he says has nearly tripled passport control wait times at popular airports. Ryanair published a list of 'hotspots' including Lisbon, Tenerife South, and Berlin, where delays are significant. The airline also reported a 34% drop in after-tax profits to €538m for the quarter ending June, blaming a doubling of jet fuel prices amid the Iran war. Passenger numbers rose 6% to 61.3 million, but average fares fell 6% as 'the Middle East conflict led to consumer hesitancy.' Operating costs rose 11% to €3.81bn. Sorahan also hinted at possible consolidation in Europe, noting the bidding war for rival easyJet could trigger a 'domino effect.'