Ryanair 737 MAX Winglet Damaged in Taxi Incident at Kalamata

A Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 suffered minor damage after its right winglet struck a blast fence while taxiing at Kalamata International Airport (KLX) in Greece on June 19, 2025. The aircraft, registered EI-HMZ, was operating flight FR6080 from London-Stansted (STN) and landed safely before the mishap occurred.

The flight departed at 09:00 and touched down at 14:24 local time after a routine journey of 3 hours and 24 minutes. Following a normal landing on KLX’s southern runway, the aircraft taxied toward the apron. During this process, the lower portion of its split-scimitar winglet struck a red and white blast fence, causing visible damage. The aircraft immediately halted and emergency crews responded, but no intervention was needed as there were no injuries.

Passengers disembarked via airstairs, and there was no emergency evacuation. Ryanair confirmed the incident and stated that the aircraft underwent maintenance and inspection at Kalamata. According to Flightradar24, the plane remained on the ground for over five hours while engineers removed the damaged winglet section. Once cleared, it continued service with a flight to Milan-Bergamo (BGY), followed by a rotation to Tirana.

Split-scimitar winglets, made from lightweight carbon fiber, improve aerodynamic performance but are prone to strikes due to their lower protrusion. Though not critical to flight safety, damage to these components typically results in minor operational delays.

Ryanair continues to operate its 737 MAX fleet without further disruption following the incident.

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