The doors and seatbelts are fastened and the cabin crew is halfway through the safety demonstration.
Do you have sweaty palms, a dry mouth and a racing heart at the thought that within minutes you will soaring thousands of metres above the ground?
As air transport becomes more affordable, flight anxiety is on the increase and can be an extremely disruptive force in a passenger’s life unless it is properly managed through specialised courses, according to the European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP).
Malta so far lacks such a course to help passengers conquer their fear of flying. However, there are plans for the National Aerospace Centre to start organising such sessions in the future jointly with the aviation industry.
EAAP president Peter Jorna explained that the courses have an 80 per cent success rate.
Passengers’ fears often stem from the feeling that they are in a situation which they cannot control and could also be related to claustrophobia.
Understanding the aviation process can greatly help to alleviate a person’s fears.
Courses for fear of flying would take a person through all the steps involved – from buying a ticket, to passing through security and boarding the plane.
“Courses can help a passenger learn about certain technicalities such as turbulence as well as acquire breathing techniques for relaxation,” Mr Jorna said.
Flight anxiety has a significant impact on the commercial aviation industry, compromising operational duties and safety. In order to mitigate the negative impact of the problem, sensitisation and training of cabin crew and ground staff on how to cope with fearful flyers is carried out. Some 200 psychologists and other practitioners are currently in Malta for the EAAP’s bi-annual conference titled ‘Aviation psychology: facilitating change(s)’.
EAAP is an international, independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to the enhancement of aviation safety and efficiency through the promotion and implementation of psychology in the field of aviation.
Statistically, air travel is the safest mode of transport due to technological advancement and special and continuous attention given to the functioning of humans in aviation since the 1970s.
Nevertheless, humans still remain the most vulnerable part of the aviation system – human failure accounts for over 70 per cent of all aircraft accidents.
We believe that psychology can play an important role
“The aeronautical system works fine but it is not perfect,” Mr Jorna said. “There are delays, cancellations, problems with the weather and the comfort of passengers is not optimal.
“Air traffic control systems are expensive and old fashioned. Currently, the world is seeing an enormous technological update of the aviation system.
“We believe that psychology can play an important role not only in providing expert advice in setting goals for change that will keep aviation safe and efficient, but also in giving guidance as to how the implementation of change should be introduced and managed.”
The EAAP’s role, Mr Jorna continued, was to test the human-machine interface.
“Psychologists are involved so that human beings can understand what the engineers are building.”
The five-day conference therefore includes a range of specialised topics and papers, including occupational stress and coping resources in air traffic control, mental issues in commercial pilots and the changing requirements of higher education for pilots.