When a commercial jet reaches the runway, passengers often experience anxiety, with hearts racing and palms sweating. Hanna, a 38-year-old commercial pilot, once found her reassurance with aviation statistics ineffective. ‘They’d still get off, say that it helped slightly but that they’d panicked again,’ she shared with Newsweek. Hanna used to comfort nervous flyers with statistics before takeoff.
‘Facts about flying only go so far. What actually calms a panicking passenger is learning to support the body first,’ she explained.
From Cabin Crew to Cockpit
Hanna’s journey to the flight deck was unique. She began her aviation career early, influenced by her mother, who worked as cabin crew. ‘I grew up on planes,’ Hanna said. ‘I would go into the flight deck and wow at the buttons, the pilots.’ After working as cabin crew, she trained and secured her first flying position quickly.
Why Facts Alone Don’t Calm a Nervous Flyer
Hanna’s approach to nervous flyers changed when she pursued a psychology degree and became a yoga and breathing instructor. ‘I realized that I needed to speak to nervous flyers about what was happening in the mind and body,’ she explained. She found that anxiety disrupts rational thinking. ‘Fear shuts down the rational side that understands facts,’ she said. ‘In moments of panic, the mind needs to focus on survival.’
Breathing as the Reset Button
Takeoff is often more anxiety-inducing for passengers than turbulence, as the journey’s beginning peaks anxiety. Hanna provides statistics but emphasizes controlled breathing. ‘The only way to get the mind and body back under control is through deep breathing,’ she noted.
Her breathing techniques have proven effective for passengers. ‘They’d come and see me after the flight and tell me they didn’t panic for the first time,’ Hanna remarked. The positive feedback led her to focus more on helping nervous flyers globally. She developed a 30-second breathing exercise to assist them. Hanna encourages passengers to overcome fear without judgment, acknowledging the brain’s normal reaction to perceived danger.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kara Dolman and Tony Phillips.