Fear and Anxiety of Flying

Text: Toomas Uibo, Nordica Photos: Florian Schneider / Unsplash Published: 20 / May / 2018

Fear is a natural part of being human. If there was no fear then life on our planet would probably be completely different.

Fear and Anxiety of Flying Nordica FlyNordica Photo Florian Schneider 980x400

We have all been scared from time to time for various reasons. Fear of flying has been an integral part of aviation since the beginning. Various studies show that even today up to 75% of air travellers feel anxious before and during the flight.

For Nordica, flight safety is the number one priority.

This fear however, can be controlled and limited very well. The best medicine is knowledge. Aviation is a gratifying source of ideas for both creating thrilling movies and collecting clicks on newsfeeds, and this does not help to reduce fear of flying at all. We must understand that the film and media industry is a business that must be distinguished from reality. Fortunately, the reality is boring and routine. Statistics that illustrate how safe flying really is do not always guarantee our peace of mind. We are human beings and even though we know the facts, we still have feelings that are harder to control.

For Nordica, flight safety is the number one priority. This is a firm decision in order that we respond to every irregularity no matter how small, as no meeting or holiday is important enough to compromise flight safety. We know that our flight teams and customers want to get home to their loved ones safely, and at the end of the day, that is the most important thing for us, even if that means that a passenger might be a little upset.

This fear however, can be controlled and limited very well. The best medicine is knowledge. 

On the road it is possible to run a red light and get away with it, but in aviation it would not be possible. Regulations are structured in such a way, that each movement can be monitored, each deviation has its own procedure, and each plan has a back-up plan. Nordica has joined the IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) programme, and is in the company of the world's largest and most well-known airlines in safety matters.

Article was published in Nordica´s in-flight magazine Time Flies  (autumn 2017).