Fear of Flying
Fear of flying (aerophobia) is an intense fear of air travel, including airports, takeoff, turbulence, and being on an airplane. The fear response in aerophobia is disproportionate to the actual level of danger posed by commercial air travel. Unlike ordinary nervousness about flights, aerophobia leads to significant avoidance that disrupts daily life, preventing people from attending important events, visiting family, or advancing professionally. It affects an estimated 25% of the general population to some degree, and about 6.5% experience it severely enough to avoid flying entirely. With evidence-based treatment, recovery is highly achievable.
Individuals with phobia often recognize that their fear is excessive. This awareness alone does not make phobia something that can be 'toughed' out. Phobia is a disorder that requires thoughtful, intentional treatment in order to reduce safety and avoidance behaviors and replace them with new behaviors.
Fear of flying is a specific phobia of air travel: turbulence, take-off, the cabin, the crash. It often has a panic component (fear of having an attack mid-flight) and sometimes a control component (you can't get off). The clinical fix combines education about flight safety statistics (your brain needs the facts), interoceptive exposure to motion sensations, and graduated airport and aircraft exposures, from booking a ticket, to visiting the airport, to short flights. Bia structures the program from your first day to the day you board.
Common signs of fear of flying
- Fear of turbulence, take-off, landing, or crashing
- Claustrophobia in the cabin
- Fear of having a panic attack mid-flight
- Avoidance of necessary travel: missing weddings, work trips, family visits
- Anticipatory anxiety days or weeks before a planned flight
- Physical symptoms at the gate or on board
Our clinical approach: education plus interoceptive exposure plus graduated in-vivo exposure
Recovery
Research shows, you can take your life back from phobia. The same mental process that causes phobia can be used to unlearn it. You deserve a life free of phobia.
Research shows phobia can be overcome in small, incremental steps.
Recovery with Bia
Bia's mission is to make phobia recovery accessible to all by lowering the barrier to getting started and encouraging follow through. You are in full control of the pace and order of your journey, from the comfort of you own home. With Bia, you will learn essential concepts - why phobias form and how they can be unlearned, and practice new skills in a safe environment.
If you are currently in therapy, Bia can be a great tool to help you apply your skills and track your progress. If you are not in therapy, Bia is an easy way to start on your journey and explore what is possible.
Common questions about fear of flying
I have a flight in 2 weeks. Can Bia help in time?
Yes, Bia includes accelerated pre-flight programs for 2-week, 1-week, and 24-hour timelines. The full recovery takes longer; the immediate program reduces in-flight distress.
What about the actual safety risk?
Flying is statistically the safest form of transportation by a wide margin. Bia provides the actual data, your brain needs facts, not reassurance.
Resources
Here are some other resources that might be helpful: