The report indicates that one of every three adult Americans is either anxious or afraid to fly. Though there is no single explanation which can account for all persons who are afraid of flying, fear of dying and fear of heights are the dominant themes.
The majority of fearful fliers do not consider flying unsafe, but avoid flying in order to escape the emotions experienced when they fly. When asked why they avoid flying, fear itself (48%) was reported as the primary factor. Still, a significant number avoid cite safety concerns (15% of fearful fliers and 29% of nonfliers). Only 6% of adults in general consider flying unsafe.
Of studies included in the Boeing report, the study by Opinion Research Corporation appears to provide the best view of American adults. The study sampled 2117 adults selected to be representative of the continental U.S. adult (over 18) population.
Of those surveyed, 18.1% answered affirmatively to the question "Are you afraid of flying?" An additional 12.6% reported anxiety with regard to flying. Added together, these two figures show approximately 30.7% of the adult population - about one person in three - is anxious or fearful about flying.
Among fearful fliers, the highest levels of anxiety occur during segments of air travel that involve heights and life-threatening situations. For those who have no fear or anxiety about flying, missing luggage and missed connections are as significant as sources of anxiety as in-flight events.
Of those afraid of flying, 73% were frightened of in-flight mechanical difficulties, 62% of bad weather flights, 36% by on-ground mechanical difficulties, 33% of overwater flights, and 36% by flying at night.
In a study done by International Research Associates of 2002 adults, fear of flying was twice as prevalent among women as men (21% vs 9%). Similar results (26% vs 11%) were found in the study by Opinion Research Corporation.
The ORC study found anxiety when exposed to heights had the highest correlation with anxiety during commercial air travel of all the situations investigated (eta-squared of 0.13 for heights, 0.07 for confined spaces, 0.06 for water, and 0.05 for darkness and crowds).
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