Statistics show that air travel is extremely safe. Between 2020 and 2024, there was an average of one accident for every 810,000 flights. At that rate, if you boarded a plane every single day, it would take you over 2,200 years to experience one.
Still, an estimated 2.5% to 6.5% of the population suffers from a fear of flying (also known as aviophobia or aerophobia), which might result in missing a family member's wedding, drifting away from friends, skipping the concert of the band you've loved since you were thirteen, or never being able to cross out that bucket-list place you've dreamed of visiting your whole life.
To confront their anxieties, many turn to the subreddit r/FearOfFlying, a supportive online community where armrest-grippers come together to share advice, encouragement, and, most importantly, victories.
