Psychology explains why some people are terrified before flying, and it may have less to do with the plane itself

Have you ever felt your heart race the moment you step into an airport? Or found yourself gripping the armrest before the plane has even left the runway? For many people, the fear isn't just about turbulence or flying itself. According to new research, intense anxiety before air travel may be closely linked to past stressful experiences, burnout, and the way the brain responds to chronic stress.

In a 2024 study, researcher Matthew K. Laker and colleagues from Charles University in Prague found that people with higher levels of psychological stress were significantly more likely to report fear of flying, also known as aviophobia. Their findings were published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.

What is aviophobia?

Aviophobia is an intense fear of flying that falls under the category of a specific phobia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). While many travelers feel nervous before a flight, aviophobia goes much further. People with the condition may experience overwhelming anxiety while seeing an aircraft, waiting to board, or even hearing an announcement about landing.

The researchers note that some estimates suggest up to 40% of people in industrialized countries experience some degree of fear of flying.

Symptoms can include:

• Rapid heartbeat
  
• Increased blood pressure
  
• Hyperventilation
  
• Stomach discomfort
  
• Panic attacks
  
• Persistent fear of losing control or dying during a flight
  

In many cases, the fear becomes so severe that people avoid flying altogether, affecting vacations, family relationships, and even career opportunities.

The study linked stress with fear of flying

The researchers surveyed 61 adults between the ages of 20 and 35 in Illinois who had traveled for business during the previous two years.

Participants completed several validated psychological questionnaires measuring:

• Fear of flying
  
• Trauma-related stress symptoms
  
• Burnout
  
• Stress-related neurological symptoms
  
• Emotional exhaustion
  

The results showed a clear pattern.

People reporting higher levels of stress also reported significantly greater fear of flying. The strongest relationship was found between trauma-related stress symptoms and flight anxiety.

The researchers also found that greater fear of flying was associated with higher burnout scores and more stress-related neurological symptoms.

Women in the study also reported higher levels of flight anxiety than men.

Why stress may make flying feel more frightening

According to the researchers, chronic stress and traumatic experiences may make the brain become more sensitive to situations that are perceived as threatening. Instead of responding only to genuine danger, the brain may begin reacting intensely to relatively safe situations, such as boarding an airplane.

The study suggests that this heightened sensitivity could explain why some people experience overwhelming fear despite knowing that commercial aviation is statistically very safe.

Researchers also discuss the possibility that certain stress-related neurological symptoms, sometimes described as "epileptic-like" symptoms linked to increased activity in the brain's temporal and limbic regions, may play a role in some individuals. However, they also note that these are not the same as epilepsy and that their study does not establish a direct causal relationship.

Fear of flying isn't always about airplanes

The researchers point out that fear of flying often overlaps with other fears, including:

• Fear of heights
  
• Claustrophobia
  
• Fear of injury
  
• Fear of losing control
  
• Fear of death
  

Because these fears can occur together, aviophobia can be difficult to diagnose and treat.

The study has important limitations

The authors caution that the findings should be interpreted carefully. The study included only 61 participants, relied entirely on self-reported questionnaires, and identified correlations rather than cause-and-effect relationships.

That means the research does not prove that stress or burnout causes fear of flying. Other factors not measured in the study may also contribute.

For some travelers, pre-flight anxiety may have less to do with the aircraft and more to do with how previous stress, emotional exhaustion, and traumatic experiences shape the brain's response to perceived danger.