Dozens of passengers in hospital after Ryanair flight plummets to emergency landing from 37,000ft

Budget airline apologises for inconvenience caused by ‘inflight depressurisation’

Ryanair passengers were left bleeding from the ears after their flight to Croatia plunged 37,000ft to an emergency landing in Germany.

Thirty-three people were treated in hospital following the “controlled descent”, due to a loss of cabin pressure 80 minutes into the journey on Friday night.

Oxygen masks were deployed during the drop of 27,000ft in around seven minutes, as flight FR7312 from Dublin to Zadar was diverted to Frankfurt Hahn airport.

Passenger Minerva Galvan tweeted: “The worst moments of my whole life. You are just falling in the sky, your ears burn, there is no air and your mouth taste like iron.”

A photo from inside the plane showed blood inside an oxygen mask.

Ms Galvan also complained that Ryanair had not offered them water, food or a place to sleep before describing the firm as “definitely the worst company ever”.

“We are abandoned at the airport,” she tweeted. “We need help, we need to rest.”

Ryanair said in a statement that it had provided refreshment vouchers and agreed to pay for hotels for the passengers, but claimed there was a “shortage of available accommodation”.

A spokesperson said: “This flight from Dublin to Zadar diverted to Frankfurt Hahn due to an inflight depressurisation.

“In line with standard procedure, the crew deployed oxygen masks and initiated a controlled descent.

“The aircraft landed normally and customers disembarked, where a small number received medical attention as a precaution.

“Customers boarded a replacement aircraft which departed to Zadar this morning, and Ryanair sincerely apologised for any inconvenience.”

Other passengers, including Ms Galvan, were provided with a bus to Croatia at around 2pm on Saturday.

German police said 33 of the 189 passengers were treated for nausea, headaches and bleeding from their ears. Some passengers had decided not to continue with their journey, said a spokesperson.

An investigation into the incident is being carried out by German air accident investigator BFU.

Additional reporting by Reuters