Statistics: who's afraid of flying?

Have you ever wondered if you're the only one who experiences anxiety when boarding a plane? Statistically, fear of flying is one of the most widespread phobias, spoiling the journeys of many of our fellow passengers. With figures to back us up, this article takes a look at who is afraid of flying, in France and around the world.

Worldwide statistics on aviophobia

You're far from the only one to experience anxiety as soon as boarding time approaches! According to all surveys, fear of flying affects an extremely large number of our fellow citizens, whether they are frequent flyers or careful airport avoiders.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), around 20% of travellers experience some degree of fear. Of these, a fifth (or 4% of the total) experience phobia, making the very idea of air travel unbearable.

The figures are slightly lower in the USA, where air travel is even more common than elsewhere (45% of adults there took at least one plane in 2015). According to a Boeing survey from 2010, around 17% of Americans are afraid of flying.

Fear of flying figures in France

According to a 2015 survey, 34% of French people say they are sometimes afraid of an accident when flying. These high figures remain stable over the long term, even after an air disaster, since they were 35% in 2005.

According to the same survey, travelers may also be apprehensive about even rarer events. In 2015, 24% of French people were afraid of an attack or hijacking. Finally, 16% were afraid of flying over a war zone.

The French are all equal when it comes to fear of flying, which affects all categories of the population. According to IFOP, it affects 30% of men and 37% of women. Young people are slightly more concerned: 42% of under-35s are apprehensive about flying, versus 30% of over-50s. On the other hand, there are few differences according to level of education or geographical origin.

The French still consider air travel to be the safest mode of transport

Whether they can control this fear or not, the French remain convinced that air travel is much safer than other modes of transport. Again according to IFOP, 41% of respondents think that air travel is the safest means of transport, putting it in second place just behind the train (46% of respondents).

Air transport is rightly placed far ahead of the car, considered safer by 13% of respondents.

Finally, while fear of flying is largely irrational, it is far from inevitable. Whether through physical training or e-learning, the methods used to combat it are showing excellent results. So says British Airway, whose courses have treated over 50,000 people in 30 years, with a 98% success rate. The same applies to e-learning, in which Fofly specializes, with a success rate of 95% among participants.