What happens if you open the plane door during a flight?

it’s one of the nervous flier’s (numerous) nightmare scenarios. A potty fellow passenger makes a beeline for the emergency exit and yanks the door open, sending themselves, and any unsecured trolley dollies and holidaymakers, spinning into the stratosphere.

That nightmare almost became reality this week, when a female passenger attempted to open the cabin door on board a Jetstar service between Sydney and Avalon. The crew managed to restrain her and she was arrested once the plane touched down.
But are our fears founded? What would have happened had she been successful? Should someone actually manage to open the door of a large passenger aircraft at high altitude, the cabin would lose pressure – extremely rapidly – and chaos would ensue.