NTSB Formally Rebukes Ryanair CEO for Comments on 737-800 Incident

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a rare formal rebuke to Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary after he made public comments about an active investigation into a serious Boeing 737-800 window incident. In a letter released by the agency, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated that O'Leary's remarks violated ICAO Annex 13, the international protocol governing accident and incident investigations.

During a Ryanair earnings call, O'Leary attributed the incident to foreign object damage and dismissed concerns about the aircraft's age and maintenance history. The NTSB pushed back sharply, stating the agency has reached no final determination on the cause and that age and service history remain live factors in the investigation. Under ICAO Annex 13, parties to an investigation are prohibited from making independent public statements that interpret or speculate on causes before official findings are released. The NTSB warned that continued violations could jeopardize Ryanair's participation status in the probe.

The incident under investigation occurred July 10 aboard a Malta Air flight — a Ryanair subsidiary — departing Thessaloniki, Greece, bound for Germany. Shortly after takeoff, a piece of the aircraft broke away and struck a cabin window, causing it to dislodge and triggering rapid depressurization. Passenger Ljubisa Karovic, 61, was nearly pulled from the aircraft in what investigators have described as a near-catastrophic event. The case adds to mounting scrutiny of Boeing's manufacturing quality and broader tensions between carriers and regulators over safety transparency.