Malta Air Boeing 737-800 9H-QEU Returns to Thessaloniki After Engine Failure and Window Breach

Ryanair flight RYR52SL, a Boeing 737-800 registered 9H-QEU and operated by Malta Air, departed Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport (LGTS) at 03:13 UTC on 10 July 2026, bound for Memmingen, Germany. According to KING5, an engine failure shortly after takeoff sent debris into the fuselage, shattering a passenger window on the right side of the cabin and causing a depressurisation; a passenger seated at the window was partially pulled through the opening before fellow passengers pulled him back inside. He was taken to hospital and is expected to recover.

ADS-B data reviewed by SkyMeter shows the aircraft climbed northward on a heading of roughly 354 degrees before turning left through west, south, and east in a series of left-hand turns that kept it in the vicinity of Thessaloniki. The aircraft reached a peak altitude of 17,281 feet approximately nine minutes after departure, then began descending sharply, recording a descent rate of up to 5,010 feet per minute in the early stages of the return. The track shows the aircraft leveling near 6,200 feet for an extended period of roughly 40 minutes while maneuvering in wide circuits around the airport area, consistent with the crew managing the situation before committing to an approach.

The final approach began from the east on a heading of approximately 104 degrees, with the aircraft descending steadily through 2,700 feet at 04:06 UTC and continuing on a stabilized profile to the runway. The track ends at 04:09 UTC at 62 feet and 167 knots, indicating a successful landing back at Thessaloniki about 56 minutes after departure. The full flight can be replayed on SkyMeter.