These are: remembering a bad flight, hearing scary stories about flying, taking a flight while feeling nervous or claustrophobic, or traveling during a personally stressful phase in their life.

Fear of flying, or aerophobia, is rarely a fear of the flight itself but rather a combination of several psychological triggers. The most common cause is a lack of control; passengers must trust their lives to pilots and technology they don't understand. This is often exacerbated by claustrophobia (the fear of being trapped in a small space) and acrophobia (the fear of heights). Additionally, the sensationalized portrayal of rare air disasters in the media can create a "fear rumination" cycle, where the brain overestimates the danger despite statistics proving that commercial flying is safer than driving. In 2026, psychologists also note that anxiety about health (germs in a closed cabin) and the physical sensation of turbulence—which the brain interprets as a fall rather than a bumpy road—are major factors. Treatment usually involves "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy" (CBT) to demystify how planes stay in the air and to manage the body's autonomic "fight or flight" response.