The Quest for Safer Skies

JUST a few weeks before 9/11, Alex felt that he was about to conquer his fear of flying. As the passenger plane he was on took off on a flight from Athens to Boston, the 42-year-old public-affairs manager began to experience a mild panic attack​—his heart started palpitating and his palms and forehead became sweaty.

But he knew what he needed to do. The therapist who was trying to help him overcome his fear of flying had told him to take deep breaths, visualize pleasant scenery, and keep a firm grip on the armrest, releasing four times a minute. When turbulence and the frightening sounds were about to defeat him, Alex imagined that he was by a serene lake. “I thought I was making substantial progress,” Alex stated.

Millions of air passengers have had a fear of flying. In recent years many have turned to fear-of-flying schools for help, often persuaded by family members, employers, and airlines, who all had motives for getting them in the air. For most passengers, the classes were a boon; many clinics boasted success rates of up to 90 percent.

But 9/11 changed all of that. Alex immediately quit the class he was attending. And to the disappointment of his employer, he also scrapped plans to fly to meet a prospective high-profile client. “My fear of flying combined with terrorist attacks,” said Alex, “was beyond my ability to handle. Therapy did not prepare me for that.”

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Facts on Flying

According to estimates, fear of flying is shared by as many as 1 in 5 air passengers. However, not all these people feel that flying is unsafe. Often, their anxieties stem from other phobias, such as fear of heights or of crowded spaces.