Panic erupted aboard a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, on Friday after a window shattered shortly after take-off, forcing the aircraft to return to its departure airport.

A passenger said a loud bang was heard before a window pane broke during the flight. 

Witnesses reported that the passenger seated closest to the window sustained injuries.

One witness told Greek broadcaster ERT that “his head and shoulders were sticking out of the broken window,” adding that fellow passengers managed to pull him back inside the aircraft.

Videos shared on social media showed oxygen masks deployed in the cabin, while passengers were reportedly screaming during the incident.

The pilot aborted the flight and returned to Thessaloniki Airport. Reports indicated that the return journey took about 20 minutes.

The injured passenger, identified as a Serbian national, was taken to a hospital in Thessaloniki for treatment. 

Greek broadcaster ERT reported that authorities had inaugurated an investigation into the incident.

Responding to an enquiry from the German news agency dpa, Ryanair confirmed the incident and said a replacement flight had been arranged for affected passengers.

Ryanair operates services to Memmingen Airport from several European destinations, as well as from Jordan and Morocco. 

Memmingen Airport is located about 100 kilometres west of Munich and nearly 120 kilometres south-east of Stuttgart.

(dpa/NAN)