In a shocking incident that could have had disastrous consequences, a window and a chunk of fuselage blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the Boeing 737-9 MAX. The incident occurred mid-air, causing the cabin to depressurize and resulting in an emergency landing in Oregon, United States. While there were only minor injuries reported, aviation experts have highlighted the potentially life-threatening nature of the situation.

An aviation expert told Sky News that if people near the damaged area were not wearing their seatbelts, they could have been sucked out of the plane. Dramatic footage captured the aftermath of the incident, showing the damage to the aircraft and the chaos inside. One passenger recounted the harrowing experience, mentioning that a young boy and his mother were seated in the same row as the damage. The force of the incident was so strong that the boy's shirt was torn off him and sucked out of the plane.

David Learmount, a consulting editor at Flightglobal, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that it could have been "very dangerous." Alaska Airlines took immediate action by grounding all of its Boeing 737-9 MAX planes following the incident. This incident adds to the woes of Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company, which had already faced significant setbacks with its 737 MAX aircraft in the past.

The Boeing 737 MAX had been grounded for a year and a half after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. While some may fear that this latest incident could lead to further groundings, aviation experts believe it is unlikely. Tim Atkinson, a pilot and aviation consultant, explained that grounding planes is not the issue; the challenge lies in ungrounding them. He stated that groundings are rare and usually occur for more significant reasons than the current incident.

Atkinson further highlighted that aviation safety is based on statistics, and so far, there have been no fatalities. He pointed out that it took the second MAX crash before the planes were grounded in 2019. Despite the recent incident, the MAX, which is the latest version of Boeing's 737, is still considered a reliable twin-engine single-aisle plane that entered service in May 2017.

However, the incident has raised concerns among airlines operating the MAX, and it is expected that they will launch inspections of their fleets. Mr. Learmount expressed his surprise at the situation, stating that the MAX is receiving negative attention just when everything seemed to be fine.

As investigations into the incident continue, it remains to be seen how this latest setback will impact Boeing and the aviation industry as a whole. The focus now lies on ensuring the safety of passengers and preventing any future incidents that could potentially put lives at risk.