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.
