Travelling is fun, though it can get stressful—and one of these sources is flight anxiety. When a major flight incident, like summer’s turbulent SQ321 flight makes headlines both locally and internationally, it’s easy to feel fearful about flying due to fears about flight safety. At worst, it centers on a fear it may crash and in turn, dying from it.
“Flight anxiety is often rooted in fear of the unknown, loss of control, and perceived danger,” explains Sophia Goh, principal counsellor at Sofia Wellness Clinic on its psychological underpinnings.
Despite the sensationalism surrounding flight incidents, flying is the safest mode of transport. The 2024 ICAO safety report finds that 2023 is the safest year for flying, with an accident rate of 1.87 per million flights, and the Aviation Safety Network shows very few fatal accidents for Singapore. Considering the sheer number of flights on a daily basis, especially in comparison to road accidents this year, your chances of a major airplane accident are slim. Nonetheless, flight anxiety can still put a damper to an itinerary. And with flying being a common way to reach far-flung places, air travel is almost inevitable in the modern travel landscape. The good news, is it’s possible to equip yourself with the necessary strategies to make flying less anxiety-inducing.
Below, the best strategies to fight flight anxiety ahead of the holiday season, with the help of Sophia’s expertise.
Know the facts before the flight
Knowledge is power, especially since fear stems from ignorance. Nowhere is this more true than flight anxiety. “Learning about how airplanes work, turbulence, and the statistics of past aviation incidents can be helpful in rationalising anxiety around the dangers of flying,” Sofia suggests.
A quick Google search on plane testing shows footage of the rigorous tests aircraft goes through before it’s fit for flying. You can also find a few explainers about turbulence on Youtube, some from engineering channels or from commercial pilots like Captain Joe.
If you prefer something with structure, some airlines offer dedicated seminars, such as British Airways’ ‘Flying With Confidence’ seminars. Closer to home are their online courses, and Flight Experience Singapore’s flight simulation classes to help acclimatise you to the flying experience in a controlled environment.
Before the flight, Sophia also states, “Someone with flight anxiety can mentally prepare themselves for a flight by visualising themselves experiencing each step of the flight process while being in a calm and relaxed state, and also planning ahead how they can practice the strategies that they have selected if any anxiety were to arise.”
Adopt coping strategies for the flight itself
This leads to the second piece of advice; adopt coping strategies. As appealing and brave as raw-dogging looks, it’s the last thing you should do because depriving yourself of all comforts won’t do your anxiety any favours, nor will it benefit your physical health. Thus, it’s best to have an activity to distract, calm or at least temporarily take the edge off.
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“Deep breathing techniques, mindfulness, and distraction strategies like watching movies can help manage flight anxiety during the flight,” Sofia says. If you’re into meditation, many applications and websites may have programs specifically for combatting flight anxiety, such as Calm’s “Calming Flight Anxiety” series. It also helps to have a simulating activity as well, such as reading a book.
Correction: An earlier version of the article referred to Sophia’s profession as a psychologist. This has been amended to her correct occupation, a counsellor, at her request.
