While there may be a lot of news centered on air travel at the moment, the media has the propensity to put a heightened focal point on stories of similar nature to drive an audience to their sources. As a result, you may have seen numerous headlines about aircraft or flight issues recently. Air traffic control and airline companies monitor weather and flight paths with the utmost precaution and take many other factors into consideration when it comes to the safety of their customers and employees. Not to mention, planes undergo routine maintenance as well as periodical checks throughout their journeys, to ensure the aircraft is flight-ready.
Even if a maintenance issue is merely suspected, commercial airliners won’t take risks with their precious cargo and will hold a flight until all alerts are resolved. If you’ve ever been delayed before take-off due to maintenance checking a potential issue, then you’re probably aware of the measures these airlines and their maintenance teams take to prioritize safety. Maybe at the time you even sat there annoyingly waiting, not recognizing the full importance of their maintenance clearance at that moment, even if it was just a false alarm, they had to double-check. This is a small example of the steps these airlines take to ensure safety if it helps to calm your mind to think about their protocols and assurance.
If you are nervous about flying right now, you can take some precautions to calm your nerves. Take comfort in knowing that airline pilots are well-trained and are hyperaware of their surroundings, especially following recent events. One thing you can do to ease your mind is to pay close attention to the flight attendants’ instructions in their safety speech and read the emergency pamphlet in the seatback pocket in front of you on the plane. Even if you read it a long time ago as a curious kid, it can be great to brush up on and make note of the exits and emergency protocols. Additionally, you can pack headphones to listen to your favorite music if you do not already do so or bring a comfort item, such as a blanket or pillow to help ease any anxiety about flying.
Remember that right now there are an influx of similar stories with aircraft issues circulating because it is such a hot topic involving a very common form of travel, but ultimately flying is still safer than driving. For example, a story about a plane engine smoking prior to take-off at IAH (in Houston) caused a flight to stop en route to the runway and evacuate passengers which is making national headlines along with a parked flight that had its tail clipped by another plane’s wing (during taxi), even though these are both stories in which the passengers were safely evacuated, unharmed, and the planes carefully examined. These headlines are surfacing as breaking news because of the recent collisions, even though there are occasional incidences such as these that are handled safely and quickly to prevent risks to everyone on board.
Commercial airlines put their pilots and flight attendants through ample training to navigate any potential issues and keep their aircraft maintenance under intense scrutiny to ensure they’re up to standard and ready for take-off. Here are some tips that can help put your focus on safety and ease your air travel anxiety:
- Keep your seatbelt on – Even if your plane is grounded, it is important to keep your seatbelt on the entire time the seatbelt indicator light is on as it can prevent injury – Even if a grounded plane is tapped by the tug or a luggage vehicle, it may jolt and your seatbelt can help keep you safe.
- Pay close attention to safety measures and emergency procedures – Not only should you read the seat pocket safety brochure for emergency procedures, but it’s a great idea to note where the life vests may be on the plane you’re traveling on. You should read the pamphlet to find the location of the life vest, whether it is your seat cushion, under your seat, or in the luggage compartment above.
- Bring a comfort item– on most airlines, you’re allowed one personal item to go along with your carry-on, so why not make it something you love like a favorite pillow or neck pillow?
- Pack headphones or a book – this can help with anxiety and get your mind off the flight(s). Many airlines even have entertainment media you can tune into such as in-flight movies or wifi, or you can plan ahead by downloading a movie on your phone prior to traveling.
- Follow the plane icon navigation toggle – You can watch the plane icon’s GPS in the airlines’ app or the seat-back screens to help alleviate some anxiety. It may help your mind to know where your flight is currently at (or traveling over) by checking it regularly on the screen. It can even be fun to see the plane icon getting closer to your destination!
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