Americans Report Rising Anxiety About Flying Following January Disaster

Americans increasingly gripped by fear of flying

Anxiety about commercial air travel has intensified across the United States following a January aviation disaster, according to mental-health professionals, recent polling, and air-travel data.

The collision between an American Airlines jet and a helicopter over Washington, D.C., in January killed 67 people, marking the deadliest U.S. air disaster in nearly 25 years. The incident has heightened concerns not only among people with pre-existing flying anxiety but also among travelers who previously felt comfortable on planes.

U.S. air travel declined in March and early April compared with the previous year, with airlines citing economic uncertainty, reduced government and corporate travel, and concern about recent aviation incidents as contributing factors.

A personal account of intensified anxiety

Adelynn Campbell, a 30-year-old coffee shop manager in San Diego, experienced a panic attack during a previous flight. The January collision has deepened her concerns about aviation.

“It’s definitely spiked my concern about getting on a plane and it’s making the whole situation a little more stressful than it used to be,” Campbell said.

Flight attendants based in Washington, D.C., were particularly affected by the January collision. Some requested time off to process their emotions, and at least one left the job, according to Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants union.

Jennifer Dragonette, a California-based psychologist who treats people with air-travel anxiety, said the incidents are expanding concern beyond those with existing fears.

“Even people who didn’t have a fear of flying are talking about it, given recent events,” Dragonette said.

Understanding fear of flying

The Federal Aviation Administration recently acknowledged it was not doing enough to ensure air safety. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows that fewer Americans report feeling safe about flying this year compared with previous years.

Fear of flying, sometimes called aerophobia, is an intense form of anxiety that centers on specific aspects of air travel. Research suggests it affects approximately 25 million U.S. adults.

David Carbonell, a Chicago-based psychologist who authored a workbook on coping with flying fears, said the condition frequently emerges in people’s 20s or 30s during major life changes such as marriage or becoming a parent. At these junctures, people often begin to think that “everything counts,” making them more vulnerable to anxiety triggers.

A single negative flight experience, such as severe turbulence, can trigger persistent anxiety. For Campbell, who is transgender, travel anxiety stems partly from concerns about how she would be treated by airport security and others. But the core of her fear centers on the physical sensations of being confined.

“It’s feeling trapped and unable to breathe,” Campbell said.

Nelson noted that flight attendants regularly encounter passengers experiencing severe distress. “We’ve had people have panic attacks, and we’ve had to give them oxygen. It can be quite intense,” she said.

Coping strategies and safety data

Experts note that commercially operated aircraft are among the safest forms of travel. According to the National Safety Council, based on 2023 statistics, the odds of dying in an airplane crash are too low to be calculated, making them far lower than the risks of being killed in a motor vehicle crash or even walking on a sidewalk or crossing a street.

However, Carbonell said that anxiety disorders cannot simply be reasoned away through statistics.

“I know you already looked at them all, and they’re not helping you,” he told patients struggling with aerophobia.

For people with milder anxiety symptoms, deep breathing often provides relief. Longer exhales help the body relax, according to Dragonette, who counseled Campbell for aerophobia and other anxiety disorders.

More severe cases respond to exposure therapy, Dragonette said. The treatment can begin with showing patients photographs of aircraft or videos of planes flying safely, and progress to virtual reality simulations of being inside an aircraft. The goal is helping patients learn to live with their feelings and manage them more effectively.

Carbonell recommends that patients undertake practice flights unrelated to work or other obligations. When symptoms emerge, he suggests keeping a written inventory of them.

“They’re keeping a simple count,” he said. “We’re using counting as a proxy for acceptance.”

The value of in-flight support

Nelson, who spent many years as a United Airlines flight attendant, described the role flight attendants can play in supporting anxious passengers. “I’ve had situations where I’d sort of sit in the aisle and hold someone’s hand,” she said.

When Campbell experienced a panic attack aboard a Frontier Airlines flight from Detroit to San Diego last year, a passenger sitting nearby noticed her distress and summoned a flight attendant. The attendant took deep breaths alongside Campbell, helping her through the crisis, and later checked on her by phone.

Campbell appreciated the response. “I was really impressed,” she said.