If the thought of getting on a plane fills you with anxiety, you’re not alone. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that 20% of people experience some form of fear around air travel. The good news, however, is that there are things you can do to reduce or completely overcome your anxiety around flying, allowing you to enjoy air travel without sacrificing your wellbeing. So, let’s get started:

Identify what’s triggering your fear

As with most forms of anxiety, really understanding what the fear is about is crucial. So, take some time to think about what scares you about flying. Common fears or triggers around flying include fatal accidents, fear of heights, claustrophobia, not having control, becoming sick mid-flight, turbulence or media reports around accidents or air emergencies. Once you identify the fear, you’re then in a position to start to tackle it.

Arm yourself with the facts

Did you know that air travel is statistically the safest form of travel? In fact, we hear about car accidents every day, yet this doesn’t stop us jumping into our cars without a second thought. An explanation for this may be because plane crashes involve a large number of people dying in one go, causing huge media attention which other accidents do not receive. This is very misleading, making us feel like boarding a plane is high risk. The facts, however, paint a very different picture:

• Commercial travel continues to become safer. Between 1968 and 1977, there was 1 fatality per 350,000 boardings: between 2008 and 2017, there was 1 fatality every 7.9 million boardings, and between 2018 and 2022 there was 1 fatality every 13.7 million boardings. One reason for this is that technology has significantly improved over the years, whilst air traffic control systems have become increasingly sophisticated. Furthermore, whenever an accident occurs, a rigorous investigation is launched, triggering changes and improvements in air safety.
• Worldwide, 7 fatal accidents were recorded in 2024. That’s 1.13 per million flights and a fatality risk of 0.06 per million flights. Figures show that 19,800 deaths from car accidents occurred in the same period, only in the EU.
• Pilots carry out extensive training to obtain their licences and must continue to train, as well as undergo regular medical and competency checks.
• Whilst we only tend to carry out yearly car services, safety checks are carried out before every flight. So, while passengers disembark and new passengers board, pilots carry out flight-control checks whilst engineers carry out technical checks to ensure all is functioning well. On top of these checks, more rigorous maintenance checks are then carried out at regular intervals.
• Planes are designed to handle bad weather and turbulence, and pilots are trained to deal with both.

Prepare for your flight

There are various things you can do to manage anxiety levels. Here are a few:

• Before your flight, download music, podcasts or films to a device and focus fully on these during the flight.
• Don’t drink alcohol or too much caffeine before or during your flight as these can increase anxiety.
• Arrive at the airport with plenty of time to go through security, sit down and relax pre- flight. The last thing you want to be doing is getting yourself into a frenzy as you race through the airport to make your flight on time.
• Explore natural remedies which may help calm you down before and during a flight. Some options are Valerian tablets or Rescue Remedy.

Practice relaxation techniques

It may be useful to download a guided meditation to see you through more anxious moments during the flight. If you’re not into guided meditations, practicing deep relaxation techniques before the day of your flight could be very helpful. These techniques include breathing exercises as well as progressive muscle exercises designed to calm the nervous system. A few useful Apps to explore include Headspace, Insight or Calm.

Challenge and reframe negative thoughts

Chances are, until you slowly become less anxious about flying, you will get the occasional negative or scary thought in the lead up to flying, or during the flight. When this happens, simply acknowledge the thought and then challenge it, replacing it with something more rational. For instance, if there’s some turbulence, you may think – ‘Something’s wrong with the plane’, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself, ‘Turbulence is a natural part of flying. I am safe. Or, if you start thinking – ‘Flying is dangerous. I may not survive this trip’, take a few deep breaths and replace with – ‘Flying is actually the safest form of travel. I’m safer in the plane than I am in my car or going for a walk’.

Find what tools work for you

One useful tool is to visualise yourself at your destination, reminding yourself that you’ll soon be relaxing in the hotel or enjoying dinner with friends. This can help take your focus away from the fear and re-focus it on what you’re going to experience once you arrive, making you feel more positive and calm. Another useful trick is to focus on the air steward/stewardesses. Somehow, seeing them behaving like it’s just another day in the ‘office’ is reassuring. If you need any support with the above, please reach out to a mental health professional, who would be able to guide and support you to manage your anxiety and explore your fears in more depth.