By: Jennifer Dubose
What is Aviophobia?
Aviophobia (pronounced [A-vee-oh-fo-bee-ah]) is the intense fear or displeasure of flying in an airplane, sometimes referred to as Aerophobia. If you’re afraid of anything flight-related—including airports themselves—this article is for you.
How to Get Over Flight Anxiety — Quick List
- Find the root of your fear
- Focus on why you’re traveling
- Arm yourself with knowledge
- Educate yourself about turbulence
- Travel with a friend or loved one
- Talk to your flight crew
- Choose your preferred seat
- Take flying lessons
- Distract yourself on the flight
- Avoid alcohol/drink water
- Try breathing techniques and meditation
- Consider professional help (BetterHelp reviewed elsewhere on the site) if fear/panic is debilitating
What is the Root of Your Fear?
Common triggers: fear of small spaces, news coverage of crashes/disappearances, motion sickness, or simply a first flight. Identifying the specific trigger helps target the right coping approach — avoiding flying altogether means missing out on a lot of life experiences.
Why Are You Traveling?
Focusing on the destination and purpose of the trip — a wedding, a long-awaited vacation, visiting family — and visualizing the payoff can help ground you and provide motivation to push through the anxiety.
Arm Yourself with Knowledge
Fear of the unknown is common. A few reassuring facts:
- Every flight-related incident in the US has been listed on the FAA website since 2006 — there aren’t many.
- From 2012–2014 there were 1,098 traffic deaths per year in New York alone (5.6 per 100,000 people).
- The National Safety Council notes the odds of dying in a plane crash are too small to reliably calculate; the odds of dying in a car accident are about 1-in-93.
- The FAA’s Air Traffic Organization provides service to more than 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers daily across more than 29 million square miles of airspace.
- Commercial pilots need a bachelor’s degree in aircraft operations or aeronautical engineering (or equivalent), plus over 1,500 hours of flight time before becoming licensed.
- Pilots under 40 undergo yearly medical exams with an Aviation Medical Examiner; pilots over 40, every 6 months — including mental health screening when warranted.
Understand that Turbulence is Normal
Turbulence is an irregular motion of the air from eddies and vertical currents, commonly linked to weather fronts, thunderstorms, heat, jet streams, and flying over mountains. Per the FAA, from 2009–2022 only 34 passengers and 129 flight attendants were injured due to turbulence — out of the millions who flew in that span.
Travel with a Friend or Loved One
Having someone’s hand to hold, or just their presence, can help lessen anxiety during a flight.
Talk to Your Flight Attendants
Flight attendants are trained in first aid, CPR, medical emergencies, firefighting, survival skills, and can even assist pilots if necessary. They can check on you throughout the flight if you let them know you’re anxious.
Choose a Seat to Alleviate Flight Anxiety
Choosing your own seat (window or aisle, whichever feels more comfortable) is usually the best option. On open-seating airlines, checking in as early as possible (e.g., exactly 24 hours ahead on Southwest) or arriving early to talk to a gate agent can help you avoid a last-minute, uncomfortable seat assignment.
Distractions are Pure Magic
Ideas to keep your mind busy: a book or e-reader, music or a podcast, in-flight entertainment, work projects, favorite snacks, phone games, or conversation with a seatmate.
Take Flying Lessons
Learning the basics of how airplanes work — even trying a flight simulator or actual flying lessons — can help demystify the experience and ease fear as a passenger.
Try Breathing Techniques and Meditation
Simple breathing (in through the nose, out through the mouth) or guided meditation apps (Calm, Insight Timer) can help. Some professionals recommend labeling your body’s fear response rather than fighting it, then reminding yourself of the safety facts you’ve learned.
Consider Exposure Therapy
Options include watching videos or shows involving flying, trying a flight simulator or Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET), and — the ultimate version — actually flying repeatedly to normalize the experience.
Avoid Alcohol — Drink Water Instead
Cabin humidity is kept at 10–20% (drier than the Sahara), so alcohol will dehydrate you further and can increase discomfort. Water is the better choice; some travelers use a sleeping aid for long overnight flights instead.
Seek Professional Treatment
For more than self-help, a professional therapist trained in anxiety disorders can help, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Online counseling (BetterHelp) is one option. The SOAR Fear of Flying program, created by airline captain and licensed therapist Tom Bunn, is a treatment option specific to this phobia.
Conquer Your Fear of Flying
Closing thought: flying, at its best, should feel like the freedom and weightlessness of leaping off a childhood swing. Put some of these tips into practice on your next flight.
Related link (PRO TIP callout in original): enochlophobia (fear of crowds) techniques