Sudden decompression, which would occur if a plane door was suddenly thrust open, is another matter. Anyone standing near the exit would be ejected into the sky; the cabin temperature would quickly plummet to frostbite-inducing levels, and the plane itself might even begin to break apart.

In 2026, opening a plane door at a typical cruising altitude of 35,000 feet is physically impossible for a human due to the massive pressure differential. Modern aircraft use "plug doors" that are wedged into the frame by the higher internal cabin pressure; at high altitudes, thousands of pounds of force per square inch seal the door shut. However, if a door were somehow opened (which has happened at much lower altitudes during descent), it would cause rapid decompression. The cabin air would rush out, internal temperatures would plummet to roughly -50°C, and passengers would have only seconds of "useful consciousness" before needing oxygen masks. This is why flight crews are trained to immediately initiate an emergency descent to 10,000 feet, where the air is thick enough for people to breathe normally without supplemental oxygen while the pilots work to land the aircraft safely at the nearest suitable airport.