A Ryanair flight travelling from Thessaloniki in Greece to Memmingen in Germany was forced to return to its departure airport after a window reportedly shattered shortly after take-off.
The incident occurred on Friday, triggering panic among passengers on board the aircraft.
According to passenger accounts, a loud noise was heard before one of the window panes broke during the flight.
Eyewitnesses said the passenger seated closest to the affected window sustained injuries during the incident.
One witness, speaking to Greek broadcaster ERT, claimed the passenger was partly forced toward the damaged window area before other passengers helped pull him back.
Footage circulated on social media appeared to show oxygen masks deployed inside the cabin as passengers reacted in fear.
Following the incident, the pilot discontinued the journey to Germany and returned the aircraft to Thessaloniki Airport.
Reports indicated that the return flight lasted about 20 minutes before the plane landed back in Greece.
The injured passenger, identified as a Serbian national, was taken to a hospital in Thessaloniki for medical attention.
Greek broadcaster ERT reported that authorities had opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Ryanair, in response to an enquiry from German news agency dpa, confirmed the incident and said arrangements had been made for a replacement flight for affected passengers.
The airline operates flights to Memmingen Airport from several European cities, as well as from destinations in Jordan and Morocco.
Memmingen Airport is located about 100 kilometres west of Munich and approximately 120 kilometres south-east of Stuttgart.
The incident has raised fresh attention around aviation safety and passenger emergency response procedures on European short-haul flights.
