There are some safety tips, too, but they are not particularly reassuring. But if that were enough to quell the fear, there wouldn't be hundreds of people paying for their long-haul holidays by offering counselling services to the estimated 10m British people who are afraid to fly. Still, it doesn't quite make up for knowing that, since 1970, aeroplanes belonging to the Turkish operator THY have been involved in eight incidents in which people died. One has the impression that Professor Robert Bor does not experience this nauseous sensation. Bor, a psychologist at London Guildhall university who specialises in aviation psychology, says that deep down, all this added information helps.
People overestimate risks.
This is an incredibly safe form of transport, but we tend to treat risk in a way that suits us. The risk of acquiring an additional infection in hospital is incredibly high, but usually we can't choose whether to go to hospital or not. We can choose whether to fly, so we focus on the more emotive aspects. The cold facts can be very reassuring. Sit back, relax, enjoy the flight.