Air travel is more accessible than ever, with new flight routes to enticing destinations cropping up all the time.
In recent months, London Stansted has launched eight new journeys to the likes of Bergen and Rotterdam, British Airways unveiled three new Italian routes and Ryanair, WizzAir, Jet2 and easyJet have all added new destinations to their roster.
But not everyone feels inspired to take advantage of these new travel opportunities.
Some Metro readers have shared their trepidation around stepping onboard a plane, with Peter Ekenasio writing: ‘Until they solve the aircraft crisis, it’s cruises for me’.
Zeeshan Meer Khan Khel added: ‘People are scared to travel in an aeroplane. Accidents have become a normal thing nowadays.’
In reality, aviation incidents such as plane crashes haven’t become ‘normal’. Data from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a UN body dedicated to ensuring safe international air travel, shows that global aviation accidents have been decreasing in recent years. But there’s a reason some travellers feel unsettled.
There have been two high-profile incidents less than three weeks apart this year. In January, 67 people died after a US Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines plane in Washington DC. In February, a Delta flight tipped over on the runway at Canada’s Toronto Pearson Airport. No one died in the incident, which is being investigated.
The proximity of the events left many wondering if plane crashes are becoming more common and feeling more anxious about flying.
Metro‘s own travel expert Alice Murphy shared her experience of flight anxiety, and was overwhelmed by the number of people who could relate.
One user shared: ‘I just developed flight anxiety a couple of years ago (one random panic attack on a flight made every one after it so hard). I was in shambles for weeks if not months before the flight — like, I put off booking it because I was so scared.’
Another said: ‘I would send goodbye messages getting on planes’, while one user added, ‘It’s pure luck whether I’ll be in bits with anxiety or be grand.’
According to the NHS, fear of flying, or aerophobia, affects around one in ten people.
The reality of air travel safety
Though a close string of aviation incidents is nerve-wracking for travellers, it’s not indicative of a decline in aircraft safety.
The latest ICAO report puts the accident rate at 1.87 per million departures in 2023 (compared to 2.94 in 2019), while the number of deaths in air accidents globally has decreased from 239 in 2019 to 72 in 2023.
Dr Akhil Bardwaj, a former engineer and senior lecturer at the University of Bath, told Metro: ‘While the spate of recent accidents might seem alarming, we would do well to remember that they were not connected to each other in a way that indicates serious systemic issues, and that commercial air travel remains safe.
‘We are more likely to be involved in a fatal accident on the way to the airport than have our plane fall out of the sky.’
Tips for managing flight anxiety
Metro readers have shared their own tips for managing anxiety when flying.
Kirk Parsons said: ‘I book a window seat so I don’t get disturbed by my neighbours needing to go to the toilet or buy stuff. Then I just read my book and blank everything else out.’
Julie Ann shared her distraction technique, writing: ‘I am scared of flying, but what I found helped me was sorting my phone out whilst mid-air such as deleting duplicate and unwanted photos, sorting photos and videos into albums.’
And Jane Clark Cadman added: ‘I am terrified of flying, but I love holidays and don’t want to be that person who won’t go anywhere. I have been known to have my jacket over my head for a four-hour flight!’
Many travellers revealed they use alcohol as a coping mechanism for anxiety when flying.
Sharing her airport routine, Amanda Tsim wrote: ‘Arrive early so no rushing. Book the seat you feel comfortable in, mine is a back-row aisle seat where I feel least trapped. Then have a few wines. I’m not saying it’s ideal, but it gets me on a plane.’
However, having a tipple isn’t always the best approach for calming nerves.
Metro spoke to BACP registered therapist and founder of Therapy in London Philip Karahassan, who explained that drinking alcohol can lead to a sharper increase in anxiety during the recovery period.
‘Many like to use sedatives to quell any anxiety during a flight, but this doesn’t conquer anxiety long-term. It simply numbs it for the time being, allowing it to return just as much as before.’
Instead, Philip shared some techniques nervous flyers can use to ease their anxiety:
- Preparation is key: Rushing and lack of preparation can snowball into existing anxiety about flying. Make sure to get your documents in order, check your luggage allowances and plan your journey to the airport ahead of time — the more you prepare, the less space you have for anxiety to creep up.
- Seek out support: Speak to people around you and don’t be afraid to ask for support from the people you are flying with. The more you talk about your anxiety, the less threatening it becomes.
- Distract yourself: Make sure you have something to watch or listen to before and during the flight, to distract yourself from the anxiety.
In the meantime, there’s an ever-increasing list of alternative ways to travel the world if you don’t fancy stepping on board a plane any time soon.
A new train journey linking seven major European cities launched earlier this year, while Eurostar will soon resume its direct route between London and Amsterdam.
Elsewhere, Metro has rounded up the best sleeper train journeys in Europe and the best value luxury cruises.
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