What does the Alaska Airlines incident tell us about air safety?

After the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door panel blew out, we sought answers about the safety of air travel.

Last week, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, the United States, when a cabin panel blew off in midair leaving a gaping hole in the aircraft’s fuselage. Just days before, a Japan Airways Airbus collided with a smaller coastguard plane, resulting in the Airbus catching fire.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered an inquiry into the incident and several passengers filed a class action lawsuit against Boeing in Washington state on Thursday.

So, is it really safe to travel by air? Here is what we know about the Alaska Airlines incident and the general safety of aviation:

On January 5, just moments after takeoff, a cabin door panel blew off in midair during an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland to Ontario, leaving one side of the aircraft’s body with a gaping hole, reducing cabin pressure and prompting an emergency landing. The blown-out door panel was later discovered by a Portland teacher, in his garden.

Federal officials in the US ordered the temporary grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners until they can be inspected.