While aeroplane cockpits may be more hi-tech than ever and commercial flying is safer than ever, the fear of flying remains a stubborn hurdle for many.
Commercial flying is statistically the safest mode of transport by far and it has become steadily safer each decade since the 1960s, according to research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Yet as many as 40 per cent of people in developed countries grapple with some form of aviophobia – a clinical anxiety that turns a flight into a psychological battle.
In a survey of nearly 2,000 US air travellers this month by travel website The Points Guy, 46 per cent admitted they had experienced an increase in anxiety in light of recent airline safety incidents, with 8 per cent delaying or cancelling plans due to their fear.
