Ryanair 737 MAX sustains wing damage after taxiing into fence at Greek airport

A Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 sustained damage after its right wing tip struck a ground structure at an airport in Greece. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew onboard the aircraft, which was able to return to service immediately following the mishap.

Ryanair flight FR6080 departed from London-Stansted Airport (STN) at 09:00 on the morning of June 19, 2025.  The flight was operated by the airline’s Boeing 737 MAX 8-200, registered EI-HMZ, a three-year-old example that, according to ch-aviation, was delivered to the carrier in September 2022. According to reports, while the flight conditions were described as turbulent, the aircraft touched down normally at Kalamata Captain Vasilis Konstantakopoulos International Airport (KLX) at 14:24 local time after a flight lasting three hours and 24 minutes.

GCMap.comHaving completed a successful landing on the airport’s southern runway, the aircraft turned off the active runway and headed for the parking apron. As it did so, the aircraft’s right-hand wing tip, which features a split-scimitar winglet, struck a red and white blast fence as it taxied onto its stand. The plane came to an immediate halt. Pictures posted online show the lower section of the winglet partially detached and hanging loose from the rest of the airframe.

With no perceived danger to anyone onboard the aircraft following the incident, and once the situation had been evaluated, the crew elected to deplane the flight normally via the airstairs, and there was no emergency evacuation. It is understood that the airport’s emergency responders were quickly dispatched to the incident, although there was little they were required to do once on the scene.

Ryanair flight FR6080 Right winglet hit a fence at Kalamata airport in Greece during taxiing after landing.The Boeing 737 aircraft had arrived from London Stansted when the incident happened.Ryanair spokesperson said the aircraft had landed safely, but as it taxied, “the… pic.twitter.com/4cKoHi5Pk8— FL360aero (@fl360aero) June 19, 2025 In a statement, a Ryanair spokesperson confirmed that Flight FR6080 had landed safely, but “as it was taxiing, the wing tip came in contact with a fence at Kalamata Airport.” The airline added that passengers disembarked normally, and the aircraft later underwent routine inspections and maintenance before being cleared for service.

According to data obtained from Flightradar24, the aircraft remained on the ground in Kalamata for around five hours and 30 minutes while engineers inspected the aircraft’s damaged winglet. A full inspection was performed, which involved the removal of the damaged section. Following its temporary fix, the aircraft flew from Kalamata to Milan-Bergamo Airport (BGY) as FR7466. It then operated a rotation to Tirana in Albania from Milan.

More about winglets

The winglets found on modern aircraft are manufactured from carbon fiber composite materials. The winglets themselves are fully integrated into the aircraft’s structure and contribute to enhanced fuel efficiency, reduced drag, and improved overall performance.  However, they are not structurally important for the safety of flight and are relatively easy to remove and replace. Aircraft can even safely operate with one or both missing, either in whole or in part, albeit with slightly increased fuel burn.

Oleh Yatskiv / ShutterstockIn recent years, winglet strikes have become more common, particularly on the 737 MAX 8 series of planes, as the lower section hangs down from the wingtip, making it more liable to be struck by airport ground vehicles. Such incidents often occur at night or in conditions of reduced visibility.

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